Crash Into You
by paintedbynumbers
Summary: From her 1st day at school Misty knew she and Gary Oak were destined to be sworn enemies.But when he makes a strange request only she can fulfill,she must decide where her loyalties lie-to her friendship with Ash,or to the calling of her own heart...AxGxM
1. Changes

**Crash ****Into**** You**

**Summary: **From her 1st day at school Misty knew she and Gary Oak were destined to be sworn enemies. But when he appeals to her with a strange request only she can fulfill, she must decide where her loyalties lie-to her friendship with Ash, or to the calling of her own heart...Ash x Gary x Misty

**Disclaimer: **I own an unhealthy obsession for Gary Oak. And nothing else.

**Edit ****31****/1/08: **If you are a new reader, thank you very much for stopping by. If you have been reading this story until now, there are some important changes you should know about before continuing with this little fic, mainly that I have re-read and (in some cases) completely re-written several sections of the first 7 chapters. For more details and a list of small plot changes you should be aware of before continuing onto chapter 8 , please head over to my **profile.** Thank you!

* * *

Misty Waterflower did not like change.

Change could come in a variety of forms—a change of age, a change of surroundings, a change of routine. But no matter what form it came through, they all fundamentally represented the same thing. The start of something new, and unfamiliar. Having to forget the adaptations and memories of the past era and re-learn everything afresh. And most of all, the complete loss of any knowledge or expectations the future might bring—knowledge she had comforted herself on possessing and accumulating for the past several years.

So, it was with a strong sense of bitter foreboding she pedaled her bicycle down the unfamiliar road to her new school. It was only her second day here, and she was still unaccustomed to the absence of dense streets and crammed shops that had surrounded her back at Cerulean City. Looking around the near-empty road, she was reminded of when she had first stepped into her new room for the first time last night. The space had been too big. The bed had been placed too far off center. And the walls were too white. Everything was different.

The only enlightening news she had received so far was her mother, Sara, discovering the home and laboratory of the famous Professor Oak was close within the vicinity. Being a dedicated Water Pokemon trainer herself, she did not overlook the fact that this was an opportunity many people her age could only dream of. She'd also heard from her sisters the Professor had a teenage grandson around her age, and found herself wondering how surreal it would be if she was in the same class as an actual Oak. In any case, insight and guidance from the great Professor—or even, she supposed, his grandson-- would be very helpful for her future role in the co-management of Cerulean Gym. _That _was one aspect of the future that would never change.

Far too soon, the grand silhouette of Pallet Town High appeared in the distance.

"Here at last," Misty muttered, and elegantly cruised into the grounds to park her bike. After carefully securing the lock, she walked through the huge double doors of the building, fumbling in her bag for her timetable.

"Okay…First lesson, Maths, in Room U201…wherever the hell that is…" Misty peered around. Hallways seemed to stretch out from every direction, enclosing too-large crowds of people bustling about everywhere. How in the world was she supposed to find her way through this maze?

She checked her watch – _8:25. _She had 5 minutes to get to class, and she did _not _want to start her year off by being late. She'd have to ask for directions. The sign of another change. She spotted a mildly friendly looking girl by the lockers, and hurriedly started walking towards her-

BASH.

Misty crashed to the floor head-first, and watched helplessly as her books and papers flew out across the hallway floor. Groaning, she pushed herself up on her elbows and bent over to pick up her timetable, but a semi-gloved hand struck out and handed it to her before she could do so.

"Sorry about that." The speaker was a boy with messy black hair and mortified chocolate-brown eyes. " Shoulda been looking where I was going…Here…" He bent down and scooped up all the mess from the floor. " These are all your papers…I hope." He grinned at Misty nervously.

"It's no problem, I wasn't concentrating either," she brushed it off with a reassuring smile. "Help me up?" She stuck out her hand, which the boy took gingerly, and obediently pulled her upright. "Thanks a lot, er…"

"Ash. Ash Ketchum. You must be new around here, I haven't seen you around..."

"Yeah, I just moved from Cerulean City. I'm Misty Waterflower." She glanced down at her watch. "Um, we'll have plenty of time to get acquainted later… right now could you show me where Room U201 is?"

"Oh, you have Scott for 1st period maths? I have her too! That's great, I'll take you there myself. It's just down this hallway--"

The bell announcing the start of class trilled shrilly. Misty sighed and began running behind Ash. So much for her resolution.

…………………………………

"Welcome back everyone, a fresh new year for you all! Hope you all had a great summer--" Mrs. Scott was cut off as Ash barged into the classroom, panting. "Ash Ketchum, is it even physically _possible _for you to get to class on time, or should I strap a giant alarm clock to your head?" Mrs. Scott sighed wearily, then caught sight of Misty."Oh hello there dear, you must be the new transfer student from Cerulean High. I wouldn't suggest using Ash as your tour guide here though dear, you won't get to a single class on time."

There were a few loud chuckles from the back of the classroom and Ash's face flushed slightly. "Old habits die hard eh, Ashy boy?" a tall boy with spiky brown hair yelled out from the back. Several girls giggled enthusiastically.

"Actually, Mrs. Scott, Ash has been very helpful to me. If it hadn't been for bashing into me in the corridor and scattering half the contents of my bag, I probably would've been a whole lot later than I am now," Misty replied smoothly. Ash smiled back gratefully and raised his head up a little.

There were a few faint 'Ooooohhs' and titters from the class. Mrs. Scott shushed them and gave Misty a weary smile. "Very well then, Miss Waterflower, it's your death wish. Turn to page 256 please, everyone. If you'd like to take a seat next to Mr. Harrison there please, you two…"

Misty followed Ash to a free chair beside a tanned boy with short brown hair, and sat down.

"Hi there, miss. My name is Brock and I'm sure going to make _your _world rock! " he grinned at her goofily.

"Huh?" Misty blinked in confusion.

From her other side, Ash rolled his eyes and sighed. "Jeez, Brock would you give the poor girl a rest? She hasn't even been here for 10 minutes yet!" He turned to Misty. "You'll have to forgive Brock, Misty. He goes completely gaga over pretty girls. Or girls in general. You know, totally –" Ash pulled a face. Misty giggled.

"And the answer is…Mr Ketchum?" Mrs. Scott called from the board.

Ash stared blankly at the board. "Errr… square root of 169 x 3x is err…"

"36x," Misty hissed under her breath.

"Er….36x?" Ash asked.

"Well done, Mr Ketchum. Now, Mr Sketchit…"

"Phew, thanks for that Misty," Ash said gratefully. "Gee, you're pretty smart, that took you like what, 2 seconds?"

"Well, you know. I try," Misty joked, smiling faintly. "And Cerulean High was a pretty elite school. The pressure kinda gets to you."

"Oh, so you're a _nerd_," Ash grinned.

"Shut it, you. You already owe me for physically _mowing _me down in the corridor, and now from saving your ass from Scott."

"Yes, Ma'am," Ash laughed sheepishly.

"You know, Misty," Brock cut in. "If you're interested, Pallet High runs a student tutor program. You know, where smart kids like you help the rest of the _normal _population like us. You could get _tons _of credit for your report, and I'm sure a girl as pretty as you would have a whole _hoard _of willing students…"

"Seriously, Brock, there's a fine line between being friendly and downright _harassing_," Ash said. "But yeah, Misty. You should totally sign up!"

"Tutoring, huh?" Misty contemplated. "Well, it sure is a great idea…I've always kinda wanted to do something like that…but will I actually qualify as one here? The standards at Cerulean High might be completely different…"

"Um yeah, as in completely beyond our _reach,_" Ash sniggered. "Trust me Misty, with what I expect are your straight A grades, you'll be hailed as a genius before long."

"Yes! Even teachers will be queuing up to learn from you!" Brock mused dramatically.

"Well, the credit is a bonus I suppose, but I just really want to help the struggling students here who can't afford a private tutor themselves…don't you think that'd be great?"

"Oh so selfless! Oh so kind! Misty Waterflower, you have the heart of an angel, and you look like one too!" Brock mused dramatically.

"Shut it Brock," Ash and Misty hissed, giggling.

"Rehearsing for a play, Harrison?" drawled a boy on the next row. He had piercing green eyes and feathery hair he kept flicking unconcernedly off his face. "I'm afraid people here have better things to do than watch a good for nothing loser recite some petty banter up on stage like that."

"Too true, Drew. At least it'll be a comedy," said a boy with cropped chestnut hair on his left, laughing.

"Boys, boys…" the boy on the far right hand side spoke up. Misty recognized him as the one who had teased Ash at the beginning of class. "Let's not get nasty. _I_ think Harrison here would have a _terrific_ career in theatre, especially with his little _boyfriend _here," he drawled, pointing at Ash. "After all, there isn't anyone else here who would be pathetic enough to act alongside him now, is there?"

The two other guys, and several girls around them, tittered loudly.

"Shut it, Gary!" Ash snarled, clenching his fists.

"You know, Ashy-boy, someday you're going to have to learn to control that temper of yours. You'll never become a Pokemon master biting everyone's heads off like that," Gary said coolly, nonchalantly leaning back in his chair.

"Yeah? Well neither will you! It may surprise you, but people these days don't actually _like _complete jerks!"

"Is that so, Ash? You _really _think you're going to be able to beat me? That's strange, coz those were your exact words when you lost to me for about the 45th time in the school Pokemon battle tournament last term…" Gary turned and bore his sapphire gaze directly into Ash's eyes. "Ever beat me once?"

Ash ground his teeth, his face steadily turning a shade of beetroot red. "Pi—Pikachu still had an injury from the last match—"

"Waterflower, is it?" he turned casually in her direction. "I realize you're new around here, so I'll give you a little heads up. Save yourself before the pettiness rubs off on you too. After all, it would be a shame to see a girl like you go down with the likes of these two. You could have it so much better."

"I think you should look up the meaning of 'better' in the dictionary-- maybe you could ask Mr. O'Reilly for one in English next period. But thanks for the concern, mister," Misty retorted back without blinking.

There was a collective hush as the girls gasped, and the boys stared. Gary blinked silently at Misty, momentarily stunned at her reaction. _No one _responded to him like that, let alone a _girl_! Most of the time they were fluttering their lashes at him or flicking their hair ridiculously in his face just to grab his attention!

"Well trust the loser lovers to hire a _girl _to defend them," Gary muttered, but he turned back to face the front and left them alone for the remainder of the lesson.

"….Wow," Brock said, his mouth still open in shock. "How did you _do _that?"

"Do what?" Misty asked unconcernedly, fiddling around for a pen in her pencil-case.

"Um, hello, _that," _Brock said, pointing to where Gary's friends were staring back and fro between the indifferent Misty and scowling Gary.

"Well _someone _had to put him in his place," Misty shrugged. "It's not like he rules the school or anything."

Brock simply continued to gape.

_RIIINNNGGGG! _

That signaled the end of class. There was a general clatter as everyone packed up their bags and began to leave. Gary and his two cronies were among the last to leave. Gary glared coldly at Ash as he passed through the door, before momentarily locking eyes with Misty. It was strange; he didn't seem to be _angry _exactly, but merely…intrigued. Was that the word? But before Misty could make any more sense of the look the trio was headed out of the door.

"We should get going to our next class too, Brock," Ash said.

"Yeah, let's get moving," Brock agreed- and the three of them set out of the classroom.

………………………………………

"So what was up with the jerk trio back there, anyway?" Misty said, nudging Ash as they made their way down to the gym.

"Well, the chestnut haired one, that was Ritchie. His dad's the manager of some famous clubs around Saffron and Celadon, so he's mega loaded. The green Featherhead, that was Drew. Thinks he's God's gift to women or something. Total Casanova."

"Unfortunately, the girls think so too," Brock said, dejectedly.

"And so Sonic the Hedgehog-?"

Brock giggled at the joke, but Ash's face hardened. "-Gary. If you looked up 'utter jerk' on Wikipedia, his face would be the profile picture."

"He's the man- got it all. Chocked full of cash, captain of the swimming and basketball team- and rugged good looks that make all the girls squeal," Brock added in, miserably.

"I don't see what's so appealing about him. From where I was standing he seemed just like another over-confident, over-rated prick," Misty said, frowning.

"Gee, you really are new to this town aren't you? He's like, a total chick magnet. He picks them up and chucks them like laundry, but they all still come back for more. If only I knew his secret…" Brock said wistfully.

"There _is _no secret, Brock! The girls here are just too desperate to realize he's nothing more than a complete _player__."_Ash suddenly stopped in his tracks. "Aw, crap! I left my sports bag back in Scott's class. You two go ahead, I'll catch up with you in the gym, okay?" He gave them a small wave and ran back down the corridor.

Misty watched his retreating figure and turned to Brock. "Gary seems to…really bug Ash, doesn't he? I mean, I know he's a jerk, but surely he's just like that to everyone?"

Brock had already begun walking again. "Ash and Gary…they've been rivals since they were kids. Pursuing the same dream since they were very young--"

"What dream?" Misty asked, curious.

"To become a Pokemon master, of course," Brock said. "Now, Ash won't ever admit it, but Gary's a brilliant Trainer—one of the best in Pallet, I'd say."

That grabbed Misty's attention. "Woah wait, he trains Pokemon?"

"Well, duh," Brock said, raising an eyebrow. "It's not exactly surprising, given his relatives is it?"

"What do you mean?"

"Er, were you living in a cardboard _box _in Cerulean? His _grandfather, _Professor _Oak?_"

"_He's _the teenage Oak?" Misty's excitement deflated almost instantly.

"Um, yeah…what's with the misery?"

"Nothing, nothing…" she wasn't about to let Brock notice how disappointed she actually was. Out of all the people in this school, why did the one person she had actually been _excited _about meeting have to be the one person who she seemed destined to _hate_"Anyway, um. So Gary and Ash…?"

"Yeah. As I said, long time rivals. Only pretty soon it wasn't just about Pokemon—it soon became pretty clear Gary was always one step ahead of Ash. Achieving better grades, having more friends, being more famous…"

"Then he really has no reason to be such a jerk to Ash!" Misty snapped indignantly. "Not when he's clearly on the winning streak!"

"Uh huh. But it seems Gary always felt threatened by Ash in some way…I guess from the two of them always being associated with each other. You know, same age, same goal and all that. Even so, the two of them were actually best friends before. They turned their rivalry into a sort of friendly competition, always pushing each other to do better, being each other's motivation…but then it seems Gary got fed up of always being tied down to his rival, and became determined to cut ties with Ash somehow. I don't know details, but ever since the Christmas holidays 2 years ago, there's been this unspoken war between them. Only of course, Gary is still usually one step ahead…" Brock trailed off, shrugging. He'd heard and recalled this story many times before.

"Wow, you guys are slow!" Ash yelled, running up towards them. "Even I caught up with you!"

"Yeah, we got sidetracked…Brock was just telling me more about this school…" Misty smiled absent-mindedly, hoping he couldn't read her true thoughts. What on earth could Gary have done to reduce himself from a best friend to a sworn enemy in Ash's eyes? Even Brock didn't know the details…

"Hey, slowploke!" Ash called, opening the door at the end of the corridor. "Wymond's not very nice to latecomers, you know! She'll give you 5 extra laps around the gym if you're not careful!"

"Okay, okay, coming!" Misty hurriedly jogged to catch up with him and Brock, a little wary of what PE class would bring.

…………………………………

Surprisingly, the rest of the day had breezed by with little other fuss. She'd learned that the majority of people here were regrettably no different from her previous school—conceited and shallow—but it had still been a much better first day than she had expected. Brock's intensity could scare off most of the girls he had his eyes on, and Ash was certainly one of the biggest klutzes she could hope to meet in Kanto, but none of it mattered to Misty. She had made better friends in one day here than she'd managed to make over the course of several months within her last school, and the 4 other schools before that. Another change in traditions…although this one was definitely a turn for the better. By the end of the last lesson Misty had forgotten all about the incidents of this morning, and had nicely rounded up the day by taking Ash's advice and signing up to be a student tutor.

"It's official!" Misty beamed, running up to Ash in the main entrance. "I have my own drawer, and ID card, and everything! They even gave me a keycard giving me official access to all the past test papers and stuff, so there's plenty of resources. I feel like a proper teacher already!"

"That's great, Misty! But won't you miss all the free time you'll be spending teaching some dopey kid advanced algebra?" Ash said as they began walking towards the courtyard.

"Listen to you, Mr Sensitive," Misty teased. "People don't get tutoring because they're _stupid,_they just might need some help for certain areas they're struggling with. And Misty's here to help!" She did a little twirl on the spot.

"Girl, you need to get some new hobbies," Ash said as he munched on a packet of chips. "Who gets happythinking of _schoolwork_?"

…………………………………

A few steps behind them, Gary Oak was listening attentively to the conversation taking place.

_A tutor, huh…_He followed Misty's retreating figure with his eyes, keeping his body a safe distance away but never letting her escape his gaze. _It's like she __appeared just in time… my last chance…_

Ash made an undistinguishable comment that was rewarded by Misty playfully slapping him on the head. The two of them laughed loudly.

_But how the hell am I going to convince her? She's bound to hate me after what happened this morning…especially now with that loser in the picture…Wait a minute. _He stopped, and not just because he had finally reached his red Porsche in the parking lot. He rewound his thoughts in his head. _She'll hate me…because of that Ashy-loser…_

And suddenly Gary knew how he was going to get Misty Waterflower on his side. Smirking to himself, he opened the car door, and with a click of his key switched the engine on. It ignited automatically, and his car roared off down the road back home.

* * *

Thank you very much for reading! I'd be very grateful to hear any feedback-- good or bad. Tcha!


	2. Unexpected motives

She should've just refused point-blank, or slapped him or something. _Anything_to get her point across. She _really _should have.

If only she hadn't been such a gutless, sentimental _idiot,_ she would have no reason to be here right now. She could've been _anywhere—_ playing with Togepi back home, or training her Water Pokemon at the local pool. Even dinner with her sisters sounded more appealing than this—standing in front of the door of her friend's arch-nemesis at 8 in the evening.

What was she doing at of Gary Oak's house in the first place?

"Why am I such a stupid, spineless _moron?_" she grumbled to herself, pacing on the spot. She still couldn't believe she was actually _doing _this!

The afternoon's events echoed painfully in her mind:

_She had been in the tutor center after school, eagerly awaiting her first student. She scarcely believed it when Miss Spencer had stopped her in the hallway earlier that afternoon to tell her she'd been assigned one already- she had only signed up yesterday! The clock had struck 3:45 when a shadow had fallen across the table…_

"_Hey there."_

_That voice sounded too familiar. It couldn't be…_

"_You!__ Oak! What the hell are you doing here?"_

"_Jeez, __Waterflower__, I can't even walk around freely in my own school?"_

_Misty sighed. "Can I help you?" _

"_I sure hope so, Scarlet. You're my new tutor."_

"_I--I'm--You--tutor--what?!" _

_Gary smirked. "It's okay to be speechless, __Waterflower__. I usually have that effect on girls."_

_Misty simply stared blankly at him. "What do you _mean _by-__"_

"_What I just said. You're my new tutor, __Waterflower__, see?" Gary held out a blue slip of paper, which Misty took numbly from his __hand.__ It was true- this was an official slip declaring that Misty was indeed Gary's tutor for the term and she was expected to carry out her duties to the best of her abilities. _

_She finally stopped gaping, and looked up at him with fierce resilience in her eyes._

"_I don't know how you convinced any of the teachers, but I won't do it, Oak. I can to refuse help anyone I feel uncomfortable wit__h, and given your ties with Ash__ who I might add _is _a friend of mine,__ I definitely think this__…tutoring__ fits that category_._"_

"_Yeah about that…" Gary paused. "You know, __Waterflower__, I'm a fair man. I'm willing to go for the 'you rub my __back,__ I rub yours' approach, metaphorically speaking. Of course, literally wouldn't be too bad either-"_

_Misty ignored that last comment. "What are you suggesting?"_

"_If you agree to tutor me, __Waterflower__, I'll be far too busy studying my ass off to spend my time fighting off little chil__dhood grudges with Ashy boy…hypothetically speaking__. Of course," Gary said, looking down. "Without a tutor, I haven't a hope in hell of catching up with my studies.__ Given that I'll probably end up going to some crappy university I hate anyway, t__here'll be no__ incentive for me to work hard. Therefore, seeing that__ school will be nothing more than a big waste of tim__e,__ I'll mostly likely spend finding pointless ways to entertain myself__ until it's over__-__- __most likely, on Ashy boy's part, given that he never seems to run out of things to make fun of."_

"_Are you-Oak, do you actually think you can _blackmail _me into tutoring you?!"_

"_Must you think so cynically of me all the time, __Waterflower__Hate as I do to admit it, I really do need your help.__ I just figured you'd want some _motivation_. After all, it's a win-win situation. Ashy boy will be left __alone,__ and…"_

"_And?"_

"_And you get to spend plenty of time with only the most charming guy in Pallet, of course."_

"_I think you need to look up the meaning of 'win-win' in the dictionary, Oak. And besides, I can't. If you continue pestering Ash, I'll find a way to deal with it. But I can't- I _won't _tutor you."_

_Gary's face darkened. "Fine," he snapped. "I'll find someone else. I'll be fine."_

"_Good-" _

"_-I mean, 'F' is for 'fine', right?" he said furiously, waving a test paper covered in red crosses in her face, before scrunching it up and stalking out of the room._

"_I-" Misty couldn't believe it. She hated his cocky attitude, she hated the way he treated Ash__—really, __she__ ought to have hated his guts__. But this-this was a genuine plea for help. __Her biggest weakness.__As a tutor, __Misty couldn't refuse that. She'd presumed he'd been bluffing about his bad grades just to get her involved in some conspiracy against Ash. She never thought he might actually __seriously __need __ help__…_

"_I-Oak-all right."_

_Gary stopped at the doorway and turned to face her._

"_I'll do it. I'll tutor you." The words __came__ tumbling out of her mouth before she could comprehend the consequences._

_Gary's face broke into a huge grin. "I knew you'd come running back in the end, __Waterflower__. Come over to the Oak mansion after dinner tonight so we can discuss final plans. In case you hadn't figured it out already," he said, barely able to suppress a smirk. "You live next door to it."_

"_I-what- how do__ you know where I live?!"__ Misty spluttered, surprised._

"_I wouldn't miss those fine legs of yours anywhere, Scarlet- I saw you walking back yesterday from my car. Later, then," and he strode out of the room before Misty could reply. _

It was ridiculous. She hated him! How had he, only the most shallow and insensitive jerk in the entire school managed to hit her at her one weak spot- an honest appeal for help- with a request he _knew _she couldn't refuse? The guy barely knew her!

And the nerve of bringing Ash into it! He _knew _he was her friend. He _knew _she would accept this ridiculous offer in return for him leaving him alone. Angrily, she kicked the nearest object she could find—a small grey pebble lying on the porch. It flew up into the air and landed in a nearby flower patch.

_O__kay Misty, just__ think of it as a heroic cause to help Ash__…_

She slowly reached out a finger and pressed the doorbell. Moments later, she was greeted by a mass of brown spikes and an all too familiar cocky grin.

"Gee, you took a while, Scarlet. I would have let you in 10 minutes ago, but you seemed pretty occupied with pacing around and trying to destroy my garden flowers. I knew you wouldn't be able to resist an open invitation to Gary's lair at this time of night though…"

"Look here, Oak. I know you seem to be sporting the crazy delusion that you're the king of Pallet or something, but I'm wasting valuable time doing this, so if you think this is all a joke, I'm heading right back to my place this instant."

"All right, all right, don't get your panties in a knot, Waterflower, I called you here for strictly business only. Promise. Step right this way," Gary said, gesturing to his hallway with a flourish.

Misty stepped in, and even she was a bit awed at the grand scale of this place. The place was like an entire mansion! A handsome mahogany stairwell loomed magnificently to her right, and the wall was decorated with several grand paintings encased in gleaming bronze frames, set against a backdrop of delicate French pastel wallpaper. Her entire _house _would've fit inside this enormous hallway alone, and she felt like a little kid who had stumbled into a magnificent human-sized Victorian doll house.

"Woah, Eevee, no!"

Misty was interrupted mid-reverie by a brown ball of fur leaping at her face. Before she could even comprehend what had happened, she found herself lying on the floor hounded by something both very fluffy and very wet. 'It' was licking her face like crazy!

"Puuuiii!" the furball cried indignantly as Gary struggled to lift it off Misty's shocked face.

"Sorry about that," Gary said sheepishly. "Eevee get a little over-excited when girls come over…not that it's an unusual feat of course…" he added with a wink.

Misty rolled her eyes. Gary simply smirked back, but then his face got thoughtful. "Seriously though, that's the first time it's actually _liked _a visitor. Usually I have to restrain her from biting my guests' heads off. Guess you're something special, Waterflower."

"Well no wonder it gets so aggressive living with _you _all the time," Misty muttered automatically, but couldn't help feeling a little intrigued by Eevee's abnormal enthusiasm towards her. Even now it was trotting happily next to her feet, rubbing its bushy tail against her legs, although its owner was standing barely 2 feet away. "So Eevee's your Pokemon?"

"Yup, one of many. Eevee's a special one though, I'd say apart from the Blastoise I got from Gramps, I've known it the longest. And luckily for her, she's spent practically her whole life with me."

"Blessings can be curses in disguise," Misty grinned half-heartedly. Though she knew the less time she spent with Gary the better, curiosity was beginning to get the better of her. "But how come you don't keep her in her Pokeball?"

"Well you see, I reckon it's nearly time for her to evolve. Thing is, I don't know what to. Would she be better as a Flareon, a Jolteon, or a Vaporeon?"

"Don't you just need an evolution stone for that?" Misty vaguely recalled Ash mentioning something along those lines at lunch. _Ash._She tried to shove away the uncomfortable sensation in her stomach at the thought of many possible consequences this disastrous arrangement could have on their friendship.

"Yeah, I know. But well, I already have a Pokemon of each type, and since Eevee's my best buddy I want to see what _she _wants to be. That's why I've been letting her roam freely around the house- maybe her antics will give me hints to whether she'd be happiest being a fire type, a water type or an electric type."

"Well, being a water Pokemon trainer, I'd say Vaporeon," Misty suggested. _Just act normal and stop fretting so much…_

Gary smirked. "Really? I'd say given her liking to you, it probably suggests she'd be better off as a Flareon. Y'know, a Flame head, just like you."

"You're _such _a charmer, Oak," Misty said, her voice dripping with sarcasm. She looked down at the purring Pokemon at her feet. "You and Eevee must be incredibly close if she can put up with you 24/7…"

"You got that right, Scarlet. Eevee's been here for me ever since-" Gary froze abruptly. "…Well, for a long time." There was an uncomfortable silence.

_Damn! _He cursed furiously inside his head. _Almost let it slip! Keep your guard up, Oak!_

"I…see. Um…so what's this tutoring business you called me over for anyway?" Misty asked slowly, completely unsure of how to respond.

"Oh, right," Gary said, seeming to recover from his momentary blunder. He motioned for her to follow him to the dining room. "This way."

………………………………………

"Application for Cinnabar University's Pokemon research scholarship program…?" Misty read out in disbelief. "Woah, Oak, don't tell me you're actually aiming to _apply _for this?"

His hard stare told her the answer.

"Are you serious? Cinnabar U probably has the most prestigious Pokemon research course in the whole of Kanto! It's hard enough to get into the _school, _let alone on a scholarship! Aside from the intensive training and expert Pokemon knowledge required, you'd have to be getting nothing less than straight As just to be _considered_, Oak!"

"Yes, I'm well aware of that, Scarlet, and that's where _you _come in."

"Me? What, you mean, this?" Misty glanced down at the sheet, then stared at Gary, flabbergasted. "What? No. No way. I mean-- I'm sorry, Oak, but this is a _huge _task. I'm only a fellow student, not a miracle worker. I can help you pass your exams, but something as prestigious as this -"

"Look here, Scarlet," Gary said, grabbing her shoulders and forcing her to look at him. "I really, _really _want this. I know you find it hard to believe there might actually be something deep about me, especially with all the bullcrap little Ashy boy has probably fed into your brain-"

Misty opened her mouth to protest, but Gary shook his head and continued. His voice was becoming steadily more fervent, raw with determination and grit.

"-- But all my life I know I've wanted to become a researcher. I know a lot about Pokemon, but there's always so much _more _to learn! Studying their behaviour, their evolution patterns…I've seen the face of my grandpa when he makes a new discovery…the euphoria of the result after all the hours of hard work…_I _want to experience that. The exam's in 12 weeks. 12 weeks, Waterflower, and you'll never have to help me or speak to me again. I _know _I'm destined for this scholarship. This is my future. But to reach that goal…I—I can't do it alone, Scarlet. I _need _you to help me."

It was like watching an emotional volcano explode. Misty stared up at boy who, until barely a few hours ago, had seemed the most conceited, most arrogant, _shallowest _human being in existence. On the surface, Misty knew was still that insensitive jerk who had treated Ash so terribly these past few years…but the eyes she stared into now were not the same ones she had locked gazes with earlier. This morning those eyes had been filled with cruel contempt and mockery; now they were simply crying out for help.

Once again she cursed him for leaving her at a dead end. Misty knew what it was like to have her dreams completely crushed- ever since Togepi had hatched out of its egg, all _she'd _ever wanted was to run a Pokemon day care, raising those little babies into strong and intelligent creatures worthy of their trainers' companionship and care …but no matter what her wishes or desires were, she was bound to the fate of the Cerulean gym. She remembered the gut wrenching feeling she had experienced when her mother had told her there was no chance of her dream becoming reality. And she realized there was no way she could cause that same dreadful feeling to _anyone- _even _him._

"I…"

With enormous effort Misty tore her eyes away from his relentless stare. She stepped out of his grasp and cleared her throat, sighing. "All right, Oak. I have a question first."

Gary nodded solemnly, and Misty regrettably admitted that he was, incredibly, being completely serious.

"Okay first…you and I both know your name is famous enough to get you pretty much anywhere. Heck, your own grandfather's an alumni of Cinnabar U! Why do you even need this scholarship anyway? You could pretty much get in without even trying."

To her surprise, Gary scowled. "_Exactly._"

"I'm not following."

"Don't you get it, Scarlet?" Gary crossed his arms, frustration etched across his face. "That's what everyone thinks, right? Oh look, there goes Gary Oak—a Pokemon researcher just like his oh so famous grandfather. He's so lucky, being able to cheat through life with his money and his fame…"

Gary breathed heavily, resting his forehead on his fingertips. "Well guess what. We might share the same blood, but I'm _not _just another clone of my grandfather. I chose to become a researcher because I genuinely _love _it—_not _because it would be the easiest path to follow. I _want _to be famous for my talents, I _want _to be as successful as Gramps—but I don't want to be _him. _When I grow up, I want people to admire _Gary's _talents, not just respect my work as being that of Professor Oak's famous grandson. Being brought up in this lifestyle…I obviously have many more luxuries than most. But there's also double the pressure, double the _need _to succeed—and for me, I want to pursue that success _myself__…_to completely step out of Grandpa's shadow. Only by graduating from Cinnabar U this way will people actually take me seriously, for who _I _am, and not who my relatives are. Do you…get it?" He hesitated on the final question, wondering whether he had perhaps revealed too much.

"Your…Grandpa's shadow, huh?" Misty repeated sadly. Before Ash and Brock, she too had been nothing but the famous relative. She had not been Misty, or even 'one of the Waterflowers'. She was simply the oddball fourth Sensational Sister—the dorky one, the strange one. _Lacks the grace and charm of her sisters…seems uninterested in the work of her sisters…_even her school reports felt the need to bring them into the picture. Gary could be the most insensitive of jerks, and yet he'd read he completely saw through her, yet _again. _And Misty realized, deep inside, she really might _be _the only one who could help him. But there was no way _he _could have known that after one day...

"One more thing, Oak. There's plenty of girls in tutoring—people you've probably known for years beforehand. I'm just the new kid you got on the wrong side of this morning. Are you _sure _this has nothing to do with bugging Ash?"

_Ash, Ash, Ash.__ Obviously it's an issue, but could she stop talking about that idiot for just one _second

"Look Scarlet, I already _told_ you, that Ashy loser's role in this is nothing but co-incidence. Besides, aren't you pleased? I promised I'd stay out of his hair as long as you agreed to help me, didn't I?"

_That's true__ but…_ "Don't change the subject, Oak. Why me?"

"Because, Scarlet, despite the fact that you're about as stubborn as a rampaging Tauros and can be as irritating as Ash on one of his whining streaks-"

Gary calmly lifted his hand to deflect the slap heading his way, and grabbed a hold of an infuriated Misty's wrist.

"-I could sense you were something special..."

Misty scowled and freed herself from Gary's grasp. "Okay, insults and fake compliments aside, what's the _real _reason, Oak?"

Gary smirked. "Ah well it was worth a shot. Let's say I'm not on very good terms with any of them."

"Because ?"

"Why do you think?" Gary raised an eyebrow, amused.

Misty rolled her eyes. "I see. Because you're a jerk who played them all."

Gary smirked. "If you like. But every game has to have a winner and loser now, doesn't it?."

"Oak, you are impossible."

"Well that makes the two of us, doesn't it?"

Misty ground her teeth irritably.

"Well what about it then, Scarlet? Are you in or not?" Gary demanded.

"Strictly for this scholarship thing only. No funny business?"

"No funny business," said Gary solemnly.

"Just for these next 12 weeks?"

"As you say, Scarlet."

"And you'll leave Ash alone?"

"Yes, I'll leave that loser—fine-- _Ashy boy--_alone," Gary sighed, admitting defeat.

"Pinky swear!" Misty said, holding out her little finger. Gary rolled his eyes and grudgingly twisted his little finger around hers.

"Okay," Misty said, smiling. "I'm in. Now what exactly do you want me to do, Oak?"


	3. The First Lesson!

"Simple. As you said it yourself, Cinnabar U won't even look at my application unless it's covered in straight As. So, that's your job."

"Don't be fooled, Oak. It's entirely up to your own efforts- I'm only here to help you with work you don't understand. I'm most certainly not just a substitute for your laziness." Misty corrected him sternly.

"If you say so, Waterflower," Gary shrugged. He crossed over to the fridge. "You want a drink? Oh, heya Gramps…"

Misty swiveled around. "Oh my god, Professor Oak? I mean, _the _Professor Oak? I can't believe you're real! I mean-of course you're real, but I mean-you-I'm standing in the same room as the famous Professor Oak-" Misty dithered off pathetically.

Gary rolled his eyes and slammed the fridge door shut. "Gramps, this is Misty Waterflower. She moved in next door from Cerulean."

"Oh? I wasn't expecting guests today…What a lovely surprise!" He extended Misty the familiar warm smile she had seen thousands of times on the magazine covers.

"Thank you Professor…Oh god, I'm _so_ sorry to intrude on you like this, I was just helping Gary with his Cinnabar-"

"Hey, Gramps," Gary cut in sharply. "Delia called a while ago. She wanted to ask you something about her Mr. Mime-"

His smile fell immediately. "Delia? Why didn't you tell me sooner, Gary? What if Mimey had been giving her some _real _trouble --" He glanced down. "You'll have to excuse me, Misty. Poor Delia, goodness knows what could have happened--" he bustled out of the room, one hand unconsciously smoothing out his hair.

"Lovesick old sod.." Gary snorted between sips of his soda. Then he caught sight of Misty staring at him. "What?"

"Why won't you tell your granddad about your application?" she demanded.

He raised an eyebrow. "Why should I?"

"Why shouldn't you?"

"Because I don't want to."

"Why?"

"Jeez, who are you? My tutor or my shrink?"

Misty paused. "…Whoever you want me to be." _Huh? What just compelled me to say that?_

Gary blinked, looking as surprised as she did. There was a short silence as he toyed aimlessly with his empty soda can, unwilling to respond.

"…I just don't want to, okay?"

Misty sighed, realizing this conversation was going nowhere. "Fine. I'll come around tomorrow after dinner okay? Make sure you bring your Algebra textbook home."

She began walking back down the hallway. Gary watched her leave for a moment, then tossed his soda can into the bin before running after her.

"Hey, Scarlet?"

Misty turned around, her hand already on the doorknob. "Yeah?"

"Um…" Gary trailed off nervously. "Well…uh..."

Misty looked at him questioningly.

_Two words, Oak!_A voice hissed inside his head. _Just say 'thank you' and get out of there!_

"...Thanks."

Misty's eyebrows shot up in surprise, and for a moment she was left as speechless as he was. "That's… um…wow. Not something I expected from you, Oak…" Then, forcing herself to recover, she offered him a small smile. "You'd better make it worth my while if you want me to say 'you're welcome' though! Anyway, I'm off. Bye, Eevee!" she called out, waving to the Pokemon as it purred happily from the staircase.

……………………………

"Sorry honey, but I gotta work late again. Are you sure you're set for dinner?" Sara asked her daughter as she grabbed her laptop off the kitchen counter.

"It's cool mum, I'll order a pizza or something. Besides, I wanted to er, visit Professor Oak's lab tonight anyway," Misty said, remembering her arrangement with Gary.

"Oh that's great honey. It's really lucky we ended up in the next door house isn't it? Talk about coincidence!"

"Yeah…great…" Misty muttered. He might not be a _completely_ insensitive, brainless git after all, but Gary Oak was still far off from making it off Misty's black list.

"All right, darling, I'm off. Have a good day at school!" Sara gave her a quick kiss on the head and left the room. As the door was about to slam shut, Misty heard her mum yelling, "Honey! Someone at door for you!".

Curious, she got up from the table and walked out to see who her mysterious visitor might be.

_Oh god. Crap, crap, crap._

"Ash… hi! What um…what are you doing here?" Misty tried to hide her panic as much as possible. There was no way he could have found out about her and Gary already, could there?

"Well, I called you last night wondering if you wanted to ride to school together, but your mum said you weren't home… "

_Oh my god, he knows! He's going to hate me…_

"…so I decided to show up at your door and ask you anyway!"

_Wait, he doesn't know?_

Misty was overcome with a huge wave of relief, and then enormous guilt at knowing the origin of her ease. Surely she wasn't going to feel like this _every _time she saw Ash, was she? She would drive herself crazy even before Gary's first lesson tonight!

"That…would be great, Ash," Misty said, trying to pass off her nervous twitch of lips as a cheerful smile. "Hold on a second, let me just get my bag first…"

She ran back to the kitchen and picked her satchel off the counter. As she re-approached the door, she swore she could hear another voice—a male one. But Brock hadn't been with Ash, so that could only mean-

"Dammit Gary! What is your _problem!__"_

" Jeez, would you cool it Ash? How the hell was I supposed to know? All I did was open the damn _door!" _

_You've got to be kidding me…_

"What's going on here?" Misty demanded, shutting the door behind her.

Ash was lying on the grass, his face flustered with rage, and the contents of his school bag scattered all across the grass. On her other side was Gary, looking equally flustered as he struggled to keep control of Eevee, who was squirming violently under his arm and barking indignantly at Ash. She remembered the zealous way Eevee had tackled _her_ down yesterday at Gary's house, and stifled a giggle as she put the pieces together. Only this time, Eevee clearly hadn't acted out of affection!

"Geez, what's so funny, Misty?" Ash scowled.

"Nothing, Ash, nothing…but you wouldn't be so mad just coz a cute little Eevee knocked you down, now would you?" Misty teased, grinning.

Misty noticed Gary smirking in the corner as he shared their private little joke. She tried to avoid catching his eye in any way possible.

"Hmph," Ash muttered, and picked himself off the floor, trying to regain his composure. "I still think Gary ordered her to-"

"Bloody hell, Ash, all I did was open the door to get to my car. It's not _my _fault she spotted you and decided to act all psycho! How was I supposed to know she didn't like you-"

"Well, then you should control your Pokemon better-"

"Oh, of course I should've known she wouldn't have liked you. My Pokemon are better than that, they can sense a _loser _when they see one," Gary cut in.

"HEY!" Ash yelled, shaking his fist in anger.

"Cool it, Ash," Misty hissed, then turned to glare at Gary, clearly reminding him of their agreement.

Gary's eyes flared angrily for a moment, but then he turned his back without a word.

"Come on, Eevee, back you go-aw crap, not again! EEVEE! GET BACK HERE!" Before Gary could let her back into the house, Eevee had leapt out of his grasp and was now frantically making a beeline for where Ash and Misty were standing.

Swearing, Gary ran after he, and Ash tried desperately shielding his face away from the oncoming attack. But instead of tackling Ash down again, Eevee stopped at Misty's feet and wagged her tail wildly.

"Puuiiii!" she purred happily, rubbing her face against Misty's legs.

Everyone paused in shock to witness the scene. Ash was the first to recover.

"How did you- How- what- why-" he spluttered, flabbergasted.

"See, Ashy boy? I told you it was just you all along." Gary smirked at the one-upmanship, but he was just as confused as the rest of them. Eevee had always been a little tough to control-even for him- and yet here she was, acting as if Misty was a long lost owner she hadn't seen for months…

Ash was still not taking any chances. "Be-be careful Misty! She bites! Here, I'll protect you-" Ash reached out and attempted to grab Eevee, but she barked indignantly and gnashed his teeth at him.

"Ash, would you quit messing around with my Pokemon?" Gary said, tiredly. "Eevee! We have to get to school. Get back here now or I'll have to keep you in your Pokeball for the rest of the day!"

Misty knelt down and gently stroked the Pokemon's head. "Listen to your owner, Eevee. You wouldn't want to be stuck inside that cramped little Pokeball for all day now would you?"

"Puiii?"

Misty nodded reassuringly and pointed to Gary. "There, there, it's all right now. Just go back inside the house and I'll see you- I mean, Gary will see you later."

To everyone's surprise, she obeyed immediately and sashayed her way back to the house. Gary closed the front door in disbelief and hopped into his car. The engine started and he began driving down the path.

"See you at school, Ash," he smirked as he passed them on the driveway. He nodded slightly to Misty, then was gone in a whirlwind of smoke.

"That cocky, immature-" Ash couldn't help muttering.

Misty sighed. Ash was a great friend and all, but he _really _had to learn to control his temper…

……………………………………

"I don't get it! Today Gary beat me in the Pokemon theory test by a whole 30 percent, I scored an own goal for my team in PE by accident, he saw a typo in the school bulletin that spelt my name as 'Ass Ketchup' and he didn't do or say ANYTHING! No insults, no names, no tripping me up in the corridors or whatsoever! NOTHING!" Ash exclaimed wildly between bites of his tuna sandwich.

"What's the deal, Ash? Isn't it a good thing Gary is finally leaving you alone?" Brock asked, confused.

"Well yeah, but I wanna know _why! _I mean don't you think it seems a little suspicious? Oh no, maybe he has an extra nasty surprise for me after school today or something…"

"Okay, Ash, firstly, say it don't spray it," Brock said, looking disapprovingly at the various crumbs of tuna and bread flying out onto the table. "And second, I think you're being _way _too paranoid. Maybe Gary finally just grew up and realized trying to make your life miserable was in fact, _not _the best use of his time!"

Ash gave Brock an apologetic smile and obediently swallowed the remnants of his sandwich before continuing.

"I hear you, Brock, but seriously. Why today of all days? This morning he was just as stuck up and haughty as usual…"

"A shock revelation? I don't know. Anyway, Misty, you're being very quiet. Is something up?" Brock looked quizzically over at the red haired girl sitting quietly next to Ash's side. Her lunch remained virtually untouched, and she was resting her chin in her hands in deep thought.

_Should I really be doing this? If Ash found out everything that happened last night, he'd never forgive me…_

"Oi, earth to Misty!" Brock sang.

"Huh? What?" she started, looking wildly around her. "What's wrong?"

"Um, that's what we should be asking _you,_" Brock said, giving her a strange look. "You haven't said a single word the whole lunchtime."

"Oh…no, I just have a bit of a stomachache, that's all…"

"See, Brock? I bet Gary tried to poison her food as revenge-"

"Oh, Ash, don't be so ridiculous. Besides, if Gary does revert back to being Mr.Superjerk again, you know both of us are here for you, no matter what--oh oh!" Brock's touching speech was shortly cut off when he spotted a pretty girl with pink hair struggling with her lunch tray. "Don't fret my dear Joy, it's Brock to the rescue!" he immediately dashed out to help her.

Ash and Misty both exchanged sighs and went back to their lunch, each immersed in their own thoughts about the spiky haired boy at the far end of the cafeteria staring at the two of them through narrowed eyes…

………………………………………

"Okay, see, you only use the quadratic formula when you _can't _factorise it the simple criss-cross way," Misty was explaining patiently, gesturing with her pen.

"Yes, but won't it be quicker if you just use that formula thing every time? That way, it works even if it does or _doesn't _fit," Gary said smugly. He thought he sounded incredibly logical.

Misty did not seem to share that idea, as she responded by rolling her eyes. "You know you don't _gain _marks for not finishing your test, because you wasted all your time writing out long formulas you don't _need?"_

"Well trying out 2 different methods instead of 1 _also _takes just as long now, doesn't it?"

"Oak, are you purposely trying to get me to resign out of frustration?" Misty snapped irritably.

"Course not, Scarlet!" Gary cried in mock horror. "It's much too fun watching you wind yourself up like that."

"Oh ha ha, Oak. If only Cinnabar U handed out scholarships for people aiming for degrees in the art of being ludicrously _annoying_."

"Gee, chill out Scarlet. We've been hitting the books for like 5 hours straight, and I've been a good boy so far. I need a break," Gary moaned.

"For your information, Oak, it's barely been _one _hour. And if you insist on acting like a little child, go ahead and take a break. It'll do _me _a favour," Misty groaned.

"Aww, now I wouldn't want to do that. You look too cute when you're mad-yeowch!" Gary yelped as Misty pinched his arm viciously. She shooed him away with her eyes.

"Okay, okay, I'll go!" Gary cried as he walked off into the kitchen with his arms raised in defeat.

Misty smirked reluctantly to herself and rubbed her eyes, surprised at how tired she really was. She was actually quite glad Gary had given her an excuse to take a break—as a tutor, it would have sounded incredibly lazy and irresponsible if she were the one to suggest it.

Surprisingly enough, trying to cram the fundamentals of basic algebra into Gary's head was not the cause of her fatigue. The boy was certainly not stupid by any means, but had obviously just neglected asking for the teacher's help at the right time. In fact, Misty realized with a reluctant smile, Gary had picked up 5 lessons worth of algebra knowledge in the same time it had taken Ash today to understand the concept of veggie burgers!

_"But it's not real meat!" he kept insisting. "It's tofu! Why do they label it as a burger, if there's no freaking meat in __it__!"_

_"Because, Ash, the whole point of a veggie burger is to allow vegetarians to enjoy the taste of meat without actually having to kill an animal for it…"_

_"But __WHY__ Why would anyone TORTURE themselves like that?__" _

_"Because, Ash…"_

_Dammit_she cursed herself. _Have to stop thinking about him when I'm over here at his rival's house…_

The rival who was, contrary to his strange behaviour last night, back to the usual infuriating and difficult manner Misty always expected of him.

_Well, not like a man can change in a day, _she sighed. She stretched her arms for a brief moment, then got up and walked herself to the kitchen. Gary had been gone for a while now, and she was getting thirsty.

"Where is that boy anyway?" Misty grumbled.

She got her answer a few minutes later. Entering the kitchen, she found Gary kneeling on the ground as he poured out a dish of Pokeblocks for Eevee, who was sniffing them curiously. She nibbled on one cautiously, but then spat it back out with a disdainful look, and trotted haughtily out into the garden outside.

"You don't like this one either? Such a difficult little girl…" Gary muttered, sighing as he cleared out the uneaten dish of yellow Pokeblocks.

"Takes after her owner, don't you think?" Misty said from the doorway. "Such a difficult little _girl._"

Gary jumped slightly in surprise, but quickly regained his composure. "Hello, Scarlet. Couldn't even bear to go 10 minutes without me, eh?"

"Dream on, Oak," Misty scoffed. "I just wanted a glass of water."

Gary pointed a finger at the fridge.

"Oh, you're not going to be a gentleman and pour me one?" Misty said with mock hurt.

"I would, Scarlet, but as you said yourself, I'm just a difficult little _girl_"

She ground her teeth irritably at his smug expression, but knew losing her temper would only give him more bait. Admitting defeat, she crossed over to the fridge and took out a bottle of water, pouring herself a cup above the kitchen sink.

"So what's wrong with Eevee?" Misty couldn't help but ask.

"Oh," Gary's face fell dejectedly. "I heard from Drew that if you feed your Pokemon lots of Pokeblocks, it'll get a lot happier, and also become a lot stronger. I've been trying to feed her yellow Pokeblocks to try and increase her toughness, but as you saw, she refuses to eat them. I've tried almost every different brand of Pokeblocks I can think of, but no success."

"Ah, is the famous Gary Oak finally admitting defeat at something?" Misty teased.

Gary crossed his arms indignantly. "Pfft. On the contrary. I just have to work a little harder at finding the solution, that's all."

"Talking about solutions, we have to get back to work, Oak. I looked over your English essay while you were reading through your textbook…"

"And?"

"And as your tutor, I'm afraid I can't allow you to hand that piece of paper in tomorrow," Misty said, cringing apologetically.

"Well chop chop then, back to work!" she sang cheerfully, grabbing Gary's wrist and dragging him helplessly back through to the dining room.

"Oh, I thought domestic abuse was a crime these days…" he wailed.

Misty responded by digging her nails sharply into Gary's skin.

"Oh okay ow! No need to get your panties in a knot, Scarlet, jeez…"

_Still an hour and a half to go…_they both realized with dread. It was going to be a _long _night…


	4. Strawberry Smiles

"Man, I can't wait to get to Cinnabar!" Ash cried, punching the air . "I bet there's loads of really rare Pokemon for me to capture!"

"And all those beautiful girls by the beach…" Brock mumbled happily.

"It'll be great just to be near the water!" Misty beamed.

The three of them were aboard the luxury liner S.S Firestar, cruising gently to Cinnabar Island with the rest of their year for the annual school outing day.

In the letter that had gone out to the parents, Outing Day had been listed as a 'thoroughly beneficial educational trip designed to stimulate the minds of our bright young students'. Even Misty had figured out by now that it would just be a free day spent at the beach. Their accompanying teacher, Miss Hartwood, was a flustering, ditzy 50 year old who had about as much control over her students as Ash did over his hunger, and the excitement and anticipation was buzzing all around the ferry.

Ash, for one, could not contain his excited rambling. "D'you think I'll see a Slowbro? I always wanted one of those, they're supposed to be really strong when they evolve into Slowking…Or maybe that famous grand mansion is still open? I heard lots of really rare fire Pokemon roam inside, maybe I'll get lucky and discover a new species or something! Or perhaps-"

Suddenly, their cabin door was clumsily flung open by a skinny girl with messy chestnut hair tied under a red bandana. Her green eyes looked around the cabin hopefully.

"Um, sorry…all the other cabins were full…I was wondering…"

"Oh, no problem, you can sit with us!" Ash said, quickly getting the hint. "Misty, could you scoot over?"

Misty silently obliged, hiding her irritation. After all, Brock was sitting just opposite them with an enormous amount of open space beside him. Why did this new girl have to sit next to _Ash, _and completely squash her in the process?

"Well, I'm May Maple," the girl announced cheerfully, plopping herself down on the seat. "I just moved here from Littleroot Town last week-"

"Oh yeah, I heard there was another new girl here! I think I've seen you around in my-"

"English class, yeah." May finished off with a smile.

Was it just her, or were Ash and May within _ridiculous _close proximity right now? And why did it bug her so much?

"Oh, yeah," Ash agreed, with a goofy smile. "Well, this is Brock, and next to me here is Misty, from Cerulean. She's new as well!"

"Oh, Misty! I heard a lot about you! You're supposed to be related to those famous Cerulean gym leaders in some way aren't you-"

"Actually, they're my sisters," Misty said curtly.

"_Seriously?_" May cried, making no attempt to hide her surprise. "But you guys don't like alike at all-"

"What, not fake, plastic and stupid? Oh the _horror!_" Misty attempted to cover up her annoyance with a half-hearted joke, but couldn't keep the sharpness out of her voice. Not that she wasn't used to this sort of reaction from strangers, but May's bluntness certainly didn't make her feel any less offended!

She _knew _she was not beautiful and blonde like Daisy, and she _knew _she did not she have the slender, curvy figure of Violet. She knew- for _certain-_ that she also did not possess the grace or ladylike elegance of Lily, but who was this obnoxious new May girl to throw it in her face like this? She'd barely known her for two seconds!

May giggled, misunderstanding Misty's icy tone. "Sisters, huh?" she sympathized. "I have a brother too, I totally feel for ya…"

_Yeah, like hell you do, little brat._

"But well, I've always wanted to visit Cerulean City sometime...I just want to travel all over the world, you know? It's all so exciting…"

Misty scowled and crossed her arms, trying to block out May's rambling. It was alarming how such a small little girl could give her such a massive headache! Did she honestly think anyone _cared _about her stupid explorer stories?

Judging by Ash's attentive gaze, Misty sighed inaudibly as she realized that, yes, May _did _have a reason to believe her yapping worthwhile. Ash was lapping up her words as if Lance the dragon master himself were giving a grand speech in their little cabin.

_Okay Misty, calm down. Yes, she's annoying, but she's just a new girl like you...out of all people, you should understand how excited she is to have made some new friends so quickly..._

_Friends? Ash is just interested in her stories because he's always wanted to travel across the country like she has! He told me that yesterday! Does she honestly think __she can just barge into our cabin like this and take up all—this—SPACE? _

Misty winced silently as she was accidentally elbowed in the stomach by Ash, who was trying to avoid getting hit by May's wildly flailing hands. Apparently it was _absolutely_ necessary to accompany her epictale with over-dramatic hand gestures...

Brock was listening to May too, but it seemed more out of courtesy rather than genuine interest. This was the first time Misty had witnessed him _not _dithering about and drooling like a strange zombie in the presence of a young female.

_Even Brock__ doesn't think she's anything special!__ Why is Ash so enraptured by some stupid travel stories coming out of a girl who looks like she just stepped out from a cycling marathon?!_

"-And the first time I visited Celadon City's Megamart, my Torchic got stuck in those vending machines on the rooftop! It took like 12 men to get her out because she kept on trying to set her rescuers on fire!" May was gushing excitedly.

Ash laughed heartily, his booming voice ringing throughout the cabin. It was a sound Misty had heard many times before…but she couldn't help notice...that usually _she _was the one who caused it. And Ash hadn't even seemed to notice she'd barely spoken a word for the past 20 minutes!

Brock however, had. He raised a questioning eyebrow at her as he chuckled at a joke May had just made. Misty shrugged, not even able to pinpoint the true basis of her dislike herself. She was not a bitter person by nature, and yet here she was acting like...like some immature, over-possessive girlfriend from a soppy TV drama! Her irritation was overridden by shame—it wasn't like May had _directly _done anything to target her intentionally, had she? She was just a new girl looking to make friends, much like herself. This mutual interest alone should have compelled her to welcome May into her life, and yet, the one thought that barred her was...

..._Why _my _friends of all people? Why Brock...and Ash? _

"So, um, May, do you have any Water Pokemon?" Misty asked politely, desperate to get herself off Brock's radar. It definitely wouldn't help having him monitoring her absurd behaviour for the rest of the day, especially when she herself could find no explanation.

May looked delighted at being asked. "Yeah! I've been training my baby Squirtle to compete in the Kanto Grand Festival for a while now-"

"Wow cool! I have a Squirtle too!" Ash cut in excitedly.

"Awesome! Was it your first Pokemon from Professor Oak then? I heard Pallet Trainers could choose from Squirtle, Bulbasaur or Charmander…"

"Nah, I wanted to, but my first Pokemon was actually Pikachu. It's a funny story actually…"

Misty hurriedly covered her face with her hair, feeling her cheeks burn up with anger. She'd been completely pushed out of the conversation yet _again. _And Ash _still _hadn't noticed! The thing that irritated her most was how she _noticed _all these little factors, and yet still couldn't seem to _account _for them in any way. Being annoyed at May, and then at herself for _being _annoyed in the first place...it left her wallowing in a gloomy cycle of frustration and anxiety that completely shadowed her from the beautiful sunshine weather outside. She had never been so thankful for technology until she heard the PA speakerphone announce their arrival at Cinnabar. Grabbing her bag, she stormed out of the cramped ship cabin as fast as she could, desperate to step into the fresh air and clear her head.

"Hey Ash, I'm kinda thirsty, you wanna go grab something?" Misty asked.

All three—_no Misty, FOUR—_of them had snagged a good spot on the far left side of the beach, not crowded enough to be overly-noisy, and not isolated enough to be lonely. Brock was busy setting up beach mats and towels for everyone to sit on.

"There's meant to be loads of rare water Pokemon you can only find here in Kanto, Ash Ketchum, and I'm gonna catch them all before you do!" May shouted gleefully, ripping her clothes off and sprinting down to the water's surface in her bikini.

"Ash!" Misty snapped her fingers to grab his attention. "Are you coming or not?"

"Well I'm not _that _thirsty…but hey, if you're going to the kiosk anyway, could you grab me a soda or something, yeah?" Ash said offhandedly, yanking his shirt off his head. "Wait up, May! There's no way I'm going to lose all those rare Pokemon to a _girl! _" he yelled, chasing her as she ran giggling down towards the beach.

Against her will, Misty stared after them, feeling the familiar bout of unexplainable irritation bubbling up again. Once again she tried to come up with an explanation, and once again she was stumped. The only possible reason she could come up was that ever since May had popped into the picture, she had just…ceased to exist in Ash's mind.

_Well just coz YOU'VE never been good at making friends doesn't mean Ash has to be_She scowled with irritation at the reality of her thoughts, then turned on her heels and trudged slowly along to the kiosk at the end of the beach.

It was as if the weather was mocking her too. It was a marvellous day, the sun's golden rays scattering out across the coast as children and adults alike basked in the warmth. It was the sort of landscape displayed on bright, cheerful holiday brochures—but Misty was the strange dark spot ruining the picture.

After a tiring walk she finally spotted her destination, but then swore irritably as she realized her wallet was still with Brock, way back on the other side of the beach.

Sighing, she pulled out her mobile phone. If Ash was going to be preoccupied with May the entire afternoon, he might as well do _something _useful before she figured out what to do instead.

Misty punched in Ash's number. It rang once…twice…three times…

"Hello?"

"Ash? I left my wallet in my bag, with Brock. Could you please run over here with it? You can get your water then, anyway."

"Misty, the kiosk is like 5 steps from us," Ash said, giggling at something at his end. _One of May's __INCREDIBLY AMUSING__ travel stories_, Misty expected, grimacing.

"No it's not, Ash, I just had to walk across the entire shoreline to get here-"

"What? Oh my god, Misty, there's 2 kiosks on this beach. You totally went to the wrong one, the one really, _really_ far away! Hahahaha you're so stupid-"

Misty restrained herself from screaming some _very _colourful language down the phone. "Ash, do you want your water or not?"

"…Haha would you believe this, May…Misty went to the kiosk on the complete other side of the beach, hahahaha…Yeah I know, it's right behind us! Hahaha…"

"Ash, are you even listening to me?" Misty snarled. She was venting all her focus on stopping her hand from squeezing her phone into nothing more than a useless pile of metal mash.

"What? What? Oh yeah, I'm still here, Mist, did you say something?" Ash shouted off-handedly. There seemed to be a lot of commotion in the background, and Misty could guess who was behind it.

Misty fought to keep her voice level. "Look, Ash, could you just bring my wallet over here _please-_"

"Huh? Sorry Misty, couldn't hear you just now- woah May what are you _doing _to my feet?!"

In the background, Misty heard May squeal something that sounded very much like 'pedicure', followed by peals of cackling laughter. She'd had enough. Grinding her teeth, she violently slammed her phone cover shut.

"Jerk!" she hissed, before shoving it back in her pocket.

"Boyfriend troubles, Waterflower?" a familiar voice called out from behind her. "I told you Ashy boy was nothing but trouble-"

Misty didn't even bother turning around. "What do you want, Oak?" she asked tiredly.

Gary pretended to stroke his chin in deep thought. "What do I want? Hmm, you ask an interesting question, Scarlet, with many possible answers-"

Misty turned to glare at him, her jade eyes narrowed into slits of irritation. She was _not _in the mood for this right now.

"Maybe I should rephrase." She snapped brusquely, her voice rising in anger. "What I really meant was, what in the name of Jirachi's pointy little star hat are you doing _here_ on the other side of the island, without your bimbo cheerleading squad tracing your every step or your arrogant prick headed cronies, insisting on bugging the living daylights out of me when there is a perfectly decent kiosk 5 minutes away from our landing spot?"

Gary paused, furrowing his eyebrows as if in deep concentration.

"….So in short, why am I alone on this deserted side of the island?"

Misty's face slowly began to take on a shade of deep beetroot red. Her lips curled into a vicious snarl. "Oak, you are so-"

"Irresistible?"

"_Infuriating!" _she screeched.

Gary shrugged impishly. "Hey, I got the first letter right."

Misty was fuming. Gary was almost surprised he did not see smoke spouting out of her nose and ears! "I don't have time for this, Oak! Just leave me alone, or be somewhat useful for once-"

"An ice cream sound good?" he interrupted abruptly.

"You--good--Ice cream--what?" Misty spluttered in total bewilderment.

Gary's lips curved into a smirk of clear amusement, then turned to the kiosk cashier. "Two strawberry cones, please," he said, slapping down a few dollars on the counter.

The cashier, who had unintentionally witnessed their entire bickering showdown, simply shrugged and disappeared for a few seconds before reappearing with two crispy waffle cones overflowing with lavish strawberry ice cream. Gary took them lightly from his hands and handed the bigger one to a still stunned Misty.

Gary took a quick lick of his own cone, and hummed contently. "Mmmm!" Top notch stuff there, mister. Take an extra dollar tip," he said, tossing a coin onto the counter. The cashier took it happily and disappeared. He glanced at Misty, whose cone was still untouched. "That ice cream's not poisoned, you know."

Misty looked up at him, still in a slight state of shock by his sudden generosity. She eyed the cone wearily before taking a tentative lick.

A small smile escaped her lips as the refreshing burst of strawberry exploded in her mouth. Gary watched her with fascination. Within a minute, she had transformed from the likes of a rabid Tauros to a cute, innocent Growlithe puppy that had discovered dog treats for the first time. The change was almost too big to comprehend.

Gary offered her a small smile. "Good?"

Misty was far too engrossed in relishing the remnants of her ice cream to speak, but nodded enthusiastically.

It took the two of them less than a minute to finish their cones entirely. Without food to occupy them, the next few minutes were spent in awkward silence.

"Um…" Misty hesitated, unwilling to be the first to speak. "I'm sorry… um, I forgot to bring my wallet…to pay you back-"

Gary shook his head. "My treat."

"Oh," Misty said quietly. She did not like being indebted to Gary Oak in any way, but with her money far out of her clutches, she couldn't do much to argue. "Well, um. Thanks. I guess."

Gary nodded, looking down and fidgeting with his hands in his pockets. Another minute of silence passed. Misty felt she had outstayed her welcome.

"Well, you know I should go-"

"You wanna take a walk?"

Misty blinked, taken once again by surprise. "Um, sure, why not?"

_Not like I have anything better to do anyway…Ash probably hasn't even noticed I've disappeared for the past half hour…_

Gary smiled, and motioned for her to follow him down a gravel path winding off to the right of the kiosk. Misty traced his steps curiously, and, beyond a few rocky steps, found herself overlooking a deserted beach.

Here, there were no piercing shrieks of childish laughter; only a cool spring breeze swishing gently the palm tree leaves. No leftover rubbish cluttered up the landscape; instead, the ocean waves glided elegantly onto a smooth, golden panorama of sand.

"It's...so beautiful," Misty murmured, not wanting to disturb the breathtaking tranquillity here.

Gary nodded in agreement. "This is the other side of the island, the part that hasn't been tainted by those annoying tourists yet. I've been coming here for years, whenever I had to follow Gramps on one of his research expeditions..."

He leapt lightly off the path and removed his sandals, stuffing them in his pockets to relish the feel of warm sand creeping between his toes. Misty followed suit, kicking off her shoes and slinging them over her shoulder. She joined Gary by the shoreline.

"So, how did you guess my favourite ice cream flavour was Strawberry?" she asked curiously, watching the damp sand squelch beneath her feet.

"All girls like strawberry," Gary said, shrugging.

The two of them continued chatting casually as they strolled slowly by the seashore. Their topics of discussion were neither very deep nor enlightening, but Misty grudgingly found herself _enjoying_ their time together.

Misty knew he was a stereotypical smooth talker, but she hadn't expected him to be such a great _conversationalist _per se. No matter what topic she threw at Gary- food- weather- even _microwaves-_ he somehow found a way to transform it into an interesting discussion that not only kept her on her toes, but even made her laugh out loud more than once.

For the next hour, she almost forgot she was in the company of Gary Oak, conceited jerk and sworn enemy of her two closest friends. He just became...Gary. Arrogant but engaging, condescending yet dynamic...a walking kaleidoscope of paradoxes that hid his true side from the world. Misty had caught a glimpse of it the previous week when he had revealed his hidden struggles to escape from his grandfather's shadow, but she knew the display of passion and sensitivity that had both terrified and amazed her that night was but a tiny fragment of the tangled web of complications that made up Gary Oak.

She watched in fascination as he excitedly pointed out the grand towers of Cinnabar University across the island, his eyes shining. _He's just a kid after all..._she smiled, despite herself.

He could be as annoying as hell, when he was mercilessly teasing her with his snappy one liners, or flashing that irritating smirk at her every chance he got…and yet…

_For the past hour I've enjoyed his company more than I've enjoyed Ash's presence this entire day. _And with a sudden jolt, she realized she had not even _thought _about Ash until now. All of her frustration surrounding him seemed to have slowly ebbed away in Gary's presence. _How ironic, _she mused.

Misty guessed they were nearing the end of their walk now. She could hear the hubbub of the crowds milling about on the occupied beach in the distance.

"Well, Oak. You still haven't answered my question from before. What _were_ you doing here by yourself on this side of the island?" Misty asked casually, twirling her trainers by their laces.

"Well…it was all getting a bit chaotic down there. You know, so many girls, only one me. Didn't want to start a riot," Gary replied smugly.

Misty realized he was avoiding the topic, and figured it would be better to play along. "Ahh, your loyal band of bimbo whores? How _thoughtful_ of you."

"Oh, so you noticed?" Gary smirked.

"It was kind of hard _not _to notice, Oak. They blocked the ship's doorway for a whole 3 minutes."

Gary chuckled. "Can't be helped, I suppose. But enough about me, what were _you _doing all the way over there? You know there was a kiosk just-"

"-Like 5 steps behind me, yes I know!" Misty cut in, her voice laced with annoyance. She could instantly feel her light mood evaporate like steam rising from a kettle. She did not appreciate being reminded about Ash's humiliating words again.

Gary blinked at her abrupt sharpness, but if he was offended, he did not show it. He merely raised his eyebrows coolly. "Ashy-boy really wound up your strings, huh?"

Misty sighed loudly. She could already feel the irritation bubble up as she remembered the phone call.

"I mean, it's not like I asked him to go save the world or anything, would it _really _have been so damn _impossible _for him to just to pick up my wallet and run across the beach? It's not like that freaking girl was going to _die _if he disappeared for 5 minutes-"

Gary's head snapped up, and Misty froze, realizing what she had just blurted out. She had notmeant to reveal her feelings about May to _anyone- _least of all _Gary, _who was now wearing a smirk so wide his mouth was threatening to rip his stupid smug face in half!

"Do I sense a _tiny _smidgen of jealousy here, Scarlet?" he practically sang in obnoxious delight.

"No it's not _like _that, Oak-" Misty tried desperately to cover up her slip up.

"You wanted little Ashy-boy all to yourself, and now little May Maple has _captivated _his heart! How does little Scarlet feel about that, I wonder?" he stared at her with mock compassion.

"What the hell, I am NOT jealous- hey wait, how do you know her name?"

Gary's smirk widened even more, if it was at all possible. "Saw her in the ferry. Drew had his eye on her. His exact words were-"

"I don't _care!_" Misty snapped. "It's no concern of mine what she gets up to, or what she does, or who thinks she's hot!"

"Unless it's Ashy-boy, I presume?" Gary was thoroughly entertained by Misty's fuming.

"It has _nothing _to do with Ash, you-" she screeched shrilly.

Gary deftly grabbed her wrist mid air as it launched towards him for a full frontal, violent _slap. _

"_Relax, _Scarlet," he said with infuriating calmness. Breathless, frustrated and dishevelled, she angrily yanked her wrist out of his grasp and glared at him through enraged emerald eyes. "Hey, if it makes you feel better, you'd totally own little bandana head in a fight."

Misty huffed with exasperation. "You suck at cheering people up, Oak, you know that?"

"I beg to differ, Waterflower; must I buy you another strawberry ice cream to prove my point?"

Misty glowered at him, but did not reply. She was too fed up to argue.

"And hey, your secret's safe with me," he added with a reassuring wink.

"There _is _no secret to keep, Oak-"

"Oops, saved by the bell," Gary smirked as his cellphone rang, interrupting the proposed bout of fury heading his way. "Yeah, Drew, sup?" he spoke into the phone. "Hartwood wants everyone over _now? _We're leaving already?"

Misty looked over in surprise.

"Uh huh…uh huh…gotcha. Oh, and dude," he said, glancing at Misty with an impish smile. "You know that May girl you were eyeing on the ferry? Yeah, I've heard from reliable sources she's single and very, _very _lonely. Why don't you go cheer her up on the return trip eh? Just you, her and a private cabin, away from _everyone else…_if you get what I'm saying…"

Misty heard a very audible _"Screw you!" _on the other end before Drew hung up on Gary.

"Little May Maple won't be bugging you on the return trip, Miss Waterflower," Gary said, bowing in mock gentlemanliness. "She'll be more than a little occupied with Drew on her trail…"

Misty's lips twitched violently as she restrained a smile. "I will never understand you, Oak."

"Nor will I, Scarlet. Most girls would be swooning over me in thanks right now- come to think of it, they wouldn't even need an incentive to be swooning over me in the first place-"

"And your massive head gets even bigger by the second," Misty said, sighing. "Come on, Oak. We better get back before Hartwood sends out a search party."

"You just can't wait for the wonderful ferry ride back with Ashy boy all aloooneee-"

Gary did not duck fast enough to dodge the violent head-slap hurled his way. But despite it all, Misty found herself walking back to the ferry with a slight spring in her step. As much as she hated to admit Gary was right, she definitely _was _going to have a more enjoyable return trip home.


	5. Calling 1 800 Jealousy

"This movie better be worth it, Ash Ketchum! You do not simply _destroy _and _mutilate _my precious bike, then try to compensate by taking me to see some crappy film involving cars, or aliens, or anything like that--"

"I _said _I was sorry, Misty!" Ash pleaded, munching gracelessly on his cheeseburger. "I really didn't mean to damage it a little—"

"You mean fry it to nothing more than a chargrilled, black _crisp?_" Misty snapped with mock sterness.

Ash grinned sheepishly as he took a slurp of his coke. "Well, yeah I guess…but you _really _shouldn't have tried to snatch that ketchup bottle off Pikachu before it was done you know…"

Misty sighed and leaned back in her seat. It was a Friday evening, and the local burger joint they were currently eating at was starting to fill up very fast.

_Guess that means we'll be heading for the cinema soon…_

Since Ash's Pikachu had accidentally incinerated Misty's beloved bicycle (a direct hit from a Thunderbolt- the poor thing never had a chance), Ash had gamely volunteered to treat her to a fun night out as some small compensation for a 'distraction from the devastating loss'-- clearly, her words, not his.

Brock was meant to come along too, but he had decided to work an extra night. Some pretty girl had begged him to trade shifts with her for a night to go meet her boyfriend; Brock had not read this request as a clear message that he had no chance, but rather as an opportunity to win her over with his selfless and gentlemanly charm. Naturally, he had accepted. The result was that Misty and Ash were left alone to spend the whole evening together, and she, for reasons she couldn't fathom, seemed hyper-actively aware of it.

_It must be because this is the first time I've been alone with a boy before…_

But then Misty realized that wasn't true at all. She recalled, with a twinge of guilt, her walk on the beach with Gary 3 days ago…

_If that wasn't it, then why was she feeling so nervous and clammy? _

Misty squeezed her eyes shut, trying to clear her head of thoughts and feelings she couldn't, and didn't want to understand. Ash certainly seemed fine, if his appetite was any indicator to go by.

"You sure you're full, Mist?" he asked, swallowing the remnants of his third cheeseburger. "You've barely eaten a thing."

"Yeah, I'm good," Misty answered, looking down at her own half nibbled food. She didn't want to mention her stomach was already full-of butterflies.

"At least finish your coke then," Ash said, smiling. "Meanwhile, I think I'm going to grab dessert…that Apple Pie by the counter looks _delicious…"_

"Ash Ketchum, do you do nothing but eat all day? I'm beginning to wonder if you were born part Snorlax!" Misty scolded jokingly.

"Aww c'mon Misty, I'm paying for everything anyway…" Ash groaned.

"Exactly," Misty pointed out. "You're supposed to be helping _me _get over the pain and _trauma _of losing my bike, not spending all your money stuffing yourself!"

"I'm sure I could compensate some other way…" Ash grumbled, eyeing a short, brunette girl skipping merrily back to her seat. For one insane moment, Misty felt an urge to chuck her burger at her head. And then as she tried to figure out the source of her sudden compulsion for violence, she realized Ash had actually been staring after the girl's tray of steaming apple pie. To her surprise, her fury evaporated immediately. She nervously laughed off her momentary bout of paranoia, but she doubted it was from genuine relief.

"Whasso funny?" Ash asked through a mouthful of fries.

"Nothing, nothing…" Misty's stomach swirled uncomfortably. She hoped she wasn't coming down with anything. "Now mister, as for your 'compensation'…"

"I'll do anything!" Ash promised. "Well, as long as I can have that apple pie…"

"Your love for food exceeds the love for your own self-preservation huh?" Misty shook her head in disbelief. "Well in that case, I'll… make you my personal slave for the week!"

That caught Ash's attention. He stared at her blankly. "Huh?"

"You know, you'd have to do everything and _anything _I tell you," Misty said, and she was surprised by how _coy_ her voice suddenly sounded. It had been entirely unintentional, but Ash seemed to have noticed the difference.

Encouraged by his curious gaze, she continued in that unfamiliar husky tone. "You know, carry my bags…go shopping with me…even…"

"Hey guys! Sorry I'm late!"

Misty jolted like she'd just been hit by a Thunderbolt herself. When she finally recovered from the sudden surprise, she turned around to glare at the unwelcome intruder. She felt the shock freeze her features when she saw who it was.

"Oh sorry, Mist," Ash said, grinning sheepishly. "Did I forget to mention? I didn't want to waste Brock's ticket, so I asked May to join us for the movie tonight…"

……………………………………………

"Ooh, Crimson Moon! I absolutely _adored _the book- even though I couldn't sleep for 3 nights afterwards! I wonder how they'll depict the whole Edward-getting-his-heart-ripped-out-thing," May gushed, exhaustingly enthusiastic as always. "Have you read the book, Misty?"

Misty ignored the headache that was starting to form, and turned to Ash. "You bought tickets for a _gore _movie?" she asked, horrified.

"Well everyone _calls_ it gore, but the proper term would really be _artistic violence--"_

"Ash, I can't STAND the sight of blood! What the hell were you thinking?"

Ash looked genuinely baffled. "Well I didn't know you were so scared of some fake blood—and I thought you said the main actor guy was cute…" he protested. "Oh come on Misty, you know I've wanted to watch this movie for ages..."

Misty opened her mouth to retort, but shut it again silently. She could feel her cheeks flushing and her blood starting to boil beneath her skin-classic signs she was about to lose her temper completely.

May seemed to notice too, and quickly cut in before Misty could unleash the full force of her human _Rage _attack.

"Come on, Misty! It'll be fun! Just think of it as art! And Ash will protect us if we get too scared, _right?"_ she grinned at Ash, who nodded eagerly.

"If he isn't busy stuffing his face," Misty muttered under her breath. She hadn't missed May's use of the word 'we', however nonchalantly it had been said, and the massive irritation she felt made her accept, regretfully, that the night had already been ruined. "Fine. Whatever. Let's not be late for the gorefest."

"Yay!" May squealed happily; Misty winced at the shrillness of her voice. "My gosh, I just can_not_ wait! Ohmygod, I'm getting so excited I have to pee- be right back!" she darted off towards the toilets before any of them could blink.

"Uh—okay!" Ash called after her, uncertain how to respond.

Misty merely resorted to glaring at May's retreating figure, wondering how likely the chances of her locking herself in the toilets for the rest of the night by accident would be.

………………………………………………

Whatever the chances were, May was not an unlucky person tonight. Misty now found herself rather wishing _she'd _been the one accidentally locked in before leaving the house.

What with May's irksome presence, Ash's undivided attention to the movie and a film script that lacked any sign of intelligent education on the writer's part, it had already been established as a horrible, horrible night. But there was something else that was bugging her…something even bigger than those 3 factors put together…

_ "Do I sense a __tiny __smidgen of jealousy here, Scarlet?" _

_"No__it's not __like __that, Oak-" _

_"You wanted little Ashy-boy all to yourself, and now little May Maple has __captivated __his heart! How does little Scarlet feel about that, I wonder?" _

_"I am NOT jealous- hey wait, how do you know her name?"_

_ "Saw her in the ferry. Drew had his eye on her. His exact words were-"_

_"I don't __care__It's no concern of mine what she gets up to, or what she does, or who thinks she's hot!"_

_"Unless it's Ashy-boy, I presume?" _

Could Gary's words at Cinnabar actually have been _right_? Was it possible that the reasons for her body's strange behaviour these past few days…was actually because she had a _crush _on Ash?

"Argh!" Misty buried her head in her pillow to muffle her cry of frustration, but it did nothing to diminish the chaotic confusion inside her head.

It just _couldn't _be true! Soppy crushes and all that boy-drama was for people like her sisters—girls who chased and worshipped the male sex as if they were a holy species. Girls like her didn't _have _feelings like this for anyone—least of all their closest _friends! _

"Yes, a friend! He's just a friend…guys can be simple friends, sheesh…" Misty reassured herself.

_But if he's _just _a friend, _a niggling little voice sang inside her head, _why __have you been secretly __harboring__ a desire to physically assault every girl that's made eye contact with him these past few days?_

_That was nothing…Gary's just a complete idiot who got the whole idea wrong__…Me and Ash going out, honestly…_ she tried to reason. Oh god, had it come to this? Was she so mixed up she was spending her evening debating fruitlessly with an imaginary voice inside her head?

The truth was, she was unsure about her own feelings at this point. She had never even _thought _of Ash in…that sort of light before. And yet, this was the only, and, though she hated to admit it, most _logical _explanation of her behaviour these past few days—towards May, and towards the girl with the apple pie…

Ever since Brock had taken up a part time job to support his younger brothers' schooling, she and Ash had often been inevitably left to spend their time together…alone. Perhaps it was just infatuation; perhaps it was just her befuddled mind playing tricks on her…

It _had _to be the second option! After all, speaking in all honesty, where would her attraction—if that's what it was—even have stemmed from? She wasn't a shallow person, but it was common knowledge Ash didn't exactly possess the genetic make-up of a Greek god. And yet…

While he lacked the sharp wit or intelligence of a stereotypically charismatic gentleman, his resilient do-or-die attitude and raw passion for the things he loved was _admirable._

He didn't possess the dreamy cobalt blue eyes her sisters were always squealing over…but they were friendly, and they were genuinely honest, filled with sincere kindness and dedication for his friends.

She had often heard Delia begging her son to try and comb his hair into something tamable; once she went as far as to compare it to an unkempt bird's nest…but what Delia didn't know was that whenever Ash was confused about something, he would unconsciously ruffle his hair so that a few loose bangs would fall across his lashes, creating a striking contrast between the dark charcoal streaks and the deliciously warm chocolate shade of his eyes…

Misty sharply lifted her head from the pillow, snapping out of her reverie.

_So what, a girl can't notice what her guy friends _look _like? Especially when they're as close as Ash__ is to me__? Of course I'd notice his _appearance_- I have to know what he _looks _like, right? It's not a crime! And it _doesn't mean ANYTHING!

"Anything!" Misty repeated out loud, as if verbally pronouncing it would somehow make it clearer.

Just because she knew what her guy friend _looked like- _okay, and a few extra details too- did _not _mean she liked Ash…in that way. After all, she saw lots of boys at school every day, but just because their appearance was implanted in her memory did not automatically mean she _fancied _them, did they?

_But you never notice all those 'harmless little details' about _Brock _now, do you…? _There was that annoying little voice inside her head again.

"I do NOT have a crush on Ash Ketchum!" Misty declared loudly, glaring at her reflection in the mirror. She was determined to shut up the infuriating voice in her brain once and for all.

"Did you say something dear?" Sara called from out in the hallway.

"Never mind, mum…" Misty sighed, reaching out for the remote.

She watched an hour of comedy that didn't make her laugh, and after glumly eyeing her bedside clock, switched off the TV in irritation. Misty let out a frustrated sigh. All the irritation of the past week…and the disbelief that came along with realization of the reason…she knew she had to get all the anger and worry out of her before the paranoia overtook her mind and thoughts completely. She jumped out of her bed and crossed her room in 3 strides, reaching for the phone. She yanked the receiver off the handle and furiously punched in the numbers. _2…8…2…9…7…_

And then, she paused. Misty's fingers simply hovered over the keypad without pressing, even though she'd had Brock's number memorized for a week. A sudden idea had popped up in her mind…something so absurd and unexpected she barely had time to realize the stupidity of her actions before she reached down to finish her dialing.

Without the input of a valid phone number, the line disconnected and started warbling. Misty hung up, then picked up the receiver again. She glanced down at the phone book lying on her desk, and punched in a different set of numbers-a number that did not belong to _Brock's _phone, but…

The phone rang once, twice, then a final third time. Misty held her breath.

"Hey there." A smooth, velvety voice spoke from the other line.

"Um hi, this is a bit random but—"

"—You've reached the voicemail of the one and only Gary Oak. Ladies, take a number and I'll get back to you when your turn arrives. Drew or Ritchie, if that's you, screw off; I see you two idiots enough in school. Anyone else, just leave a message at the tone. _Beep!"_

Misty stared at the receiver for a second, then hastily slammed it down. Of course Gary wouldn't have been home- it was a Friday night, and not even midnight yet…_he _at least, had the social life of a normal sixteen year old. What had she been thinking?

"It was just to confirm tomorrow's tutor session…" Misty lied pathetically to herself.

Truth was, just when she'd been about to call Brock, the most obvious choice for a listener right now, she had remembered someone who had already seen her in this exact state…and had completely cheered her up without even trying.

Ironic as it was, it had been _Gary Oak _who had brightened her up that day on Cinnabar Island--not Brock, and certainly not Ash, her so called close friends.

Even a few days later, Misty still couldn't figure out how he had just _swooped _in like that, barely knowing her situation—barely knowing _her _even, and had so willingly and effortlessly distracted her from her worries. She would have been lying if she said she hadn't been looking for a similar sort of comforting tonight…

But everyone was already busy, out with friends, or otherwise doing something _useful _with their lives. No one had time for her or her pitiful self-wallowing.

Feeling neglected, and lonelier than ever, Misty rolled back into bed and slowly curled up into a ball under her covers, drifting off to sleep under the weight of her mental exhaustion.


	6. Let the Games Begin

There are not many teenagers who would willingly get up at 8 am on a Saturday Morning without feeling exhausted from a night of partying or irritated from missing out the chance to sleep in. Given her utter lack of a social life, Misty considered herself to be one of the few exceptions.

She sighed loudly and rang the doorbell of the familiar Oak mansion. She rather wished she _had _left a message last night; she had a feeling Gary did not share her talent at waking up early.

She had just been about to press the bell again when it was wildly flung open by a very pretty girl. She stared at her crystal blue eyes and enviously shiny caramel waves, and rather wished she'd taken a little more care in her fashion today. Standing there in her baggiest hoodie and faded, ripped jeans only made her even more painfully aware of the girl's Maybelline-worthy looks.

Misty wondered momentarily what this girl was doing here, and realized that she must have spent the night here by Gary's invitation. After all, why else would a female this stunning be over at Gary's house this early in the morning?

She had looked just as surprised to see Misty, but her eyebrows suddenly shot up and she grinned wildly, flashing all of her perfect white teeth.

"A_ha!_" she yelled triumphantly. "So _you're _the culprit for leaving this little souvenir behind!" She dangled from her right hand a skimpy lace thong Misty had never seen—and wished never to see again. She blinked at the girl in confusion.

"Um, no, I think you've got the wrong person--"

"Oh come on, hun, don't lie! Though you've _gotta_tell me where you bought this baby, it's exactly the thing I've been looking for; slutty without looking cheap, revealing but providing enough cover for a little mystery --"

Misty didn't think it would be appropriate to point out that lacy little number was probably not even big enough to cover a the body of a Barbie doll .

"Look, um, you've got it all wrong. I _really _don't own that…that _thing_. I just came over to uh, help Gary with his homework."

"On a Saturday _Morning? _Seriously hun, if you wanna go whoring around with my little bro you're going to have to think of better excuses than _that--"_

"Little brother?" Misty asked, pleasantly surprised.

"Well, _duh! _Who else?" Her shining eyes suddenly widened. "Oh my god, unless you've been seeing _Gramps--"_

"No, no no no! Really, I just came to help Gary with his homework. I'm sort of his tutor, see?" she hurriedly opened her bag and showed the girl the stack of textbooks crammed inside. She vaguely recalled how Gary's tuition had meant to remain secret within the house, but he had never mentioned his sister in the story…

The girl looked slightly disappointed at the lack of potentially juicy gossip, but then she beamed her dazzling smile again, and beckoned Misty in with a slender hand.

"_So _sorry about that," she chimed in an infectiously bubbly voice. "I just never expected my little bro to actually make an effort to show the world he _does _possess a brain after all…the name's Daisy, it's great to meet you, er…"

_Wow, he has a sister called Daisy too? _

Misty hastily reached out to shake the outstretched hand. "Misty! It's Misty Waterflower, thanks. Er…so is Gary awake yet?"

Daisy chuckled loudly, her sunny laughter filling the room. "Do Noctowls wake up in the day? It's barely the crack of dawn for the lazy git. Good thing you're here nice and early to knock him around a bit," she said cheerfully, grabbing Misty lightly by the wrist and dragging her up the staircase.

They soon reached the second floor, and Daisy, with Misty's wrist still latched firmly in her hand, veered off to the right and proceeded down to the end of the corridor, until they reached a mahogany door with a shiny poster of the Elite Four stuck on the front.

"Oi, Snorlax Junior, move your lazy butt! You've got visitors!" Daisy yelled, rapping the wood loudly.

The only reply from inside was a low grumble.

"All right, oh sweet brother of mine, you leave me no choice but to send in the big guns! Coming in, ready or not!"

Daisy grabbed the handle and twisted the knob exuberantly, flinging the door open. It was still dark here, but that problem was aptly solved by her crossing over to the windows and drawing the curtains in one dramatic, sweeping motion. The morning sun glare flooded the gloomy room, and Gary twitched violently under his sheets.

"Arghhhh Daisy, put it out, put it _out_are you trying to BLIND me you sadistic little--"

"Oh shut your mouth and get up, you lazy grump. What manners are these when you have guests in the house?"

Daisy impatiently tugged the end of Gary's duvet, but he wasn't about to let them go so easily. The two of them fought it out in a cat-and-mouse tug of war for the next 2 minutes, with Gary emerging the winner by a close streak. He bunched the sheets tightly to his chest, protecting them from a potential second attack by his sister.

"I'm sorry, Misty, but you're on your own with this idiot," Daisy huffed, jabbing a finger in Gary's vague direction as she stomped out of the room. "Come down for some coffee later if you can get that human Slaking up." Misty listened to her faint footsteps echo down the stairs.

Gary finally turned his eyes on her, and a huge crooked grin flashed across his face. "Well Scarlet, I can't remember much from last night, but _damn _I got lucky! Never knew you were so _rebellious _under the covers--"

"Huh? WHAT? No, _no _I definitely am NOT that skankbag that came home with you last night!" Misty instantly flushed, realizing the connection with the thong Daisy had shown her before.

Gary clutched his head in agony. "Oh god Scarlet, not so _loud!_Have some consideration for my poor _head-"_

Misty narrowed her eyes. "Oak, are you _drunk?"_

Gary rubbed his temple wearily, blinking groggily to adjust to the light. "Well Scarlet, technically I was _drunk_ about 4 hours ago. Now would just be the aftermath--"

Misty resisted the urge to slap her head. "Ugh Oak! You _knew _you had a lesson this morning, how could you be so irresponsible?!"

Gary raised his hands in a show of defeat, and got up with a scowl. "Well excuse the hottest guy in Pallet for having a social life, Scarlet! Why're you so grouchy anyway?"

"I'm not being grouchy!" Misty snapped back indignantly.

Gary quirked an eyebrow, letting out an unstifled yawn. He slowly made his way to the door and rubbing his eyes tiredly as he did so. The duvet he had been clutching to his chest fell to the ground, unraveling by his ankles and exposing his bare chest.

Misty blinked, momentarily dazed. The shock was soon replaced by something else. Was it…admiration? Or even…amazement?

_What the heck?! _

Misty sharply forced herself to look away, chiding herself for her stupidity.

_Stop acting like your sisters! Having a __hot __body doesn't change this guy from being a__ stupid, irresponsible__ jerk! Not even a really, _really _good looking body…_

She turned to yell at Gary to hurry up, but was once again left speechless as he stretched his arms high above his head, the contours of his back rippling noticeably. He paused at the doorway, noticing her stare, and smirked at her from over his shoulder.

"What is it? My being half-naked bothering you?" he asked with a chuckle.

"What? Argh…no…just-ugh Oak, just hurry up and put a shirt on! We're—_you're_ already 15 minutes late!"

Gary merely flashed her another impish grin, and continued to the bathroom to brush his teeth. Misty waited out in the hallway, tapping her feet impatiently.

"Hurry up, Oak! Does it _really _take a century just to splash some water on to your darn face--"

Gary re-emerged from the toilet, beads of water glistening on the ends of his soft cinnamon spikes, and, Misty noticed unwillingly, still topless.

"Say something, princess?" he asked sweetly.

"I didn't!—stop--stop doing that!—God just hurry up and I'll see you downstairs!" she babbled. When had she suddenly forgotten the use of coherent speech? She sprinted down the stairs before he could catch the colour creeping up her cheeks, but his amused chuckle was still audible as he closed the door to get changed.

She strode into the dining room in an agitated frenzy, nearly running over Daisy in the hallway. Flopping herself down in the closest chair she could find, she made an effort to calm her erratic breathing as she slowly took out all her textbooks and equipment. She started tapping her fingers impatiently, and was about to check the time on the handsome grandfather clock in the corner, when Gary strode in through the doorway.

Misty was relieved (_was _it relief?) to find he was fully clothed, wearing a pair of casual trackpants and a loose black t-shirt covering that perfect chest-_Shut __UP__Misty!_He seemed to have foregone the trouble of styling his hair today, but even disheveled he still looked…decent. Misty decided she would leave it at that.

"Did you eat, Scarlet?" he asked with another enormous yawn, slumping down in the chair opposite her and reaching for the cereal box. "Gosh why the hell would you set up a lesson at the crack of dawn? I didn't know you had such a masochistic streak in you--"

"Oak, do you even know what 'masochistic' _means?_"

"Course I do--"

"It means receiving _pleasure _from being abusive and inflicting pain--"

"_Exactly,"_ Gary said, flashing her a giant crooked grin. "I got the definition _100_ per centright. See, you're _abusing_ me by waking me up at this ungodly hour, and you're definitely_pleasured_ by my company--"

"Ugh Oak! Just shut up and eat your stupid cereal! We're already 30 minutes late in starting the lesson--" Misty growled.

"See," Gary chortled, tearing the box open. "You're so irritated because you had to wait an extra half an hour to see my handsome face--"

"_Oak--!" _she started to snarl.

"Gee, Ashy boy must have _really _wound up your strings last night! Yes, Drew was out with Soledad Davies last night, he saw you two arguing at the cinema. Or rather, you shouting, him looking baffled as usual, and an unexpected third guest. Little May Maple stole the night again?" Gary chuckled, amused at Misty's enraged expression.

"That is _none _of your business—hey wait, what was Drew doing with Soledad? I thought he _liked _May?" Too late she tried to tone down the disappointment in her voice, but Gary had already picked it up.

"Well yeah he does…don't _worry _Scarlet, Super Drew'll scoop her out of little Ashy Boy's sight before long. But you've gotta keep the boy entertained until Maple turns around, right?" He shrugged nonchalantly and began pouring out his cereal.

"What the hell, Oak? That is just _sick! _Girls aren't just _toys _to play around with you know! You males are such stupid, insensitive, chauvinistic _pigs—_"

"You forgot devilishly handsome and charming," he winked. "Oh?"

There was a small, plastic packet in his bowl—some sort of freebie from the cereal. Gary set down the box and ripped the packet up. A small, brightly coloured object fell into his palm. He examined it momentarily, then grabbed Misty's wrist and pulled it towards him. She was too surprised to react.

"I guess in my case, you can add 'gentlemanly', too. Here," he said, slipping on a colourful kiddy bracelet made of bright, dinky plastic beads. "Some small payment for your help. Although of course I know you enjoy it enough already," he added with a small smirk.

Misty blinked at him, stuck between confusion and irritation. "Oak, if you're trying to bribe my trust with stupid little presents and stuff like that, you're going to have to do better than a dumb kid's toy from a cereal box--"

"Who said anything about bribing? Seriously Scarlet, you have some _major _trust and paranoia issues. Or maybe your EQ is just dropping from spending so much time with hollow head that is Ash--"

"You _promised _you'd leave him alone, Oak." Misty gritted her teeth. Damn it, why did he have to remind her of last night?

"I know." Gary raised an eyebrow. "I didn't break any promises- I _did _leave _him_ alone. I never agreed to stop insulting him behind my back. Is it my fault the guy was born without a brain? I'm only speaking the truth…"

"Do you _honestly _think this is helping _anyone--?"_

"Yeah, it's very amusing entertainment for me. Look Scarlet, just take the toy…bracelet...whatever it is. Think of it as a…simple gesture of thanks, if you will. I mean, it's the thought that counts right? And now, you can't say I never gave you anything," he added with a wink.

Misty stared in disbelief at the dinky little kids' bracelet hanging off her wrist. Even so, she decided acting kind would be the best option for now– after all, no matter how cheap or tacky the bracelet was, it _would _be the same as returning a present. She'd just take it off when she got home. It wasn't exactly a big deal.

"…Fine, fine I'll take your stupid kiddy bracelet. Now, Oak, will you finish your damn cereal so we can _finally get to __WORK__?!"_

…………………………………

Misty finally left the house 2 hours later, surprisingly pleased with the progress they had made. Once Gary _finally _got down to it, she found that he had actually worked quite hard in the past week. He had completed all his homework—a first, she was informed by Daisy—and though he was still far from achieving the grades he needed, he showed clear evidence of following all the hints and tips Misty had laid out for him. She felt grudgingly proud of him for his efforts, but she reserved the biggest sense of achievement for herself. It really was a wonder she had been able to withstand this many hours of his snide jokes and immature japes without (completely) losing her cool.

_I'm just getting used to it I guess...at least he's helping me improve my temper..._

Just as she began walking down the porch steps, a shiny silver Volvo pulled up into the driveway opposite the Oak mansion. Technically, the driver had parked on a double line, a no stopping zone, but he was too shocked by what he was seeing to move.

He blinked several times, pressing his face against the car window to check he was not hallucinating, but it was as clear as anything. Misty Waterflower, that loud mouthed, bratty new transfer student, the one always hanging out with those total _losers _Ash and Brock-_had _indeed just exited from Gary's house. _Gary Oak, _his best friend- and from what he knew- someone who clearly hated Misty's guts. After that little incident on the first day of term, who could blame him? That hot-tempered ginger head had _really _struck a nerve!

So what the hell was _she _doing, leaving _his _house, at this time on a _Saturday morning?_

Drew flipped open his expensive silver cell phone, and quickly dialled the number he wanted. Gary answered on the first ring.

"Yeah?"

"Hey man, it's Drew. Maybe I'm going crazy, but be honest with me pal- are you or are you not hooking up with Misty Waterflower?"

"What the heck?!" Gary yelped on the other line, failing miserably to sound nonchalant. "_Waterflower_As in violent, scrawny, clearly-in-need-of-anger-management new girl Waterflower? Where the hell did you get an idea like that from?"

"Don't lie man, I just saw her leaving your _house_about 5 seconds ago. What's going on? Is she meant to be one of those secret booty calls or something? Ohhh, wait, this is to totally mess up Ketchum's head right? Nice call, dude, he totally loves that girl. He's going to get it _bad--"_

Gary tried to restrain the panic in his voice. "What? No! Drew, shut up. _No one _is hooking up with anyone, no one is anyone's bootycall, Ash dumbass Ketchum doesn't even fit into the story--"

"Gary, it's not even _noon _yet, and I know for a fact you were at the Club Lunar party last night! So she spent the night at your place right? But how the hell did you get her there-- I thought she hated your guts? Oh man, you didn't get her drunk did you? Coz that's pretty low, even for you--"

"_Drew," _Gary stressed with forced calm. "Waterflower and I are _not _hooking up, okay? You totally have the wrong idea. She was just…dropping something off for Gramps. Just drop it, okay?"

"Oh I _see," _Drew said, and Gary could hear the overflowing smugness in his voice. "You couldn't get her. She blew you off! For once in his life, ladies and gentlemen, Gary Oak got _stumped!"_

Gary was caught off guard. "What? No way, man! I wasn't _trying _to _get _her--"

"So you think if you _did _try, you'd win her over fair and square?" Drew challenged.

"Is that even a real question?" Gary scoffed, trying to cover up his panic.

"So you're on?" Drew said curtly. "Let's say you get a hookup by the end of the week –Richie and I will fork over $10 each. Of course, the chances of that happening are like nil, so it'll just be a chance to laugh at you and we won't be losing any money."

"_W-__What?"_Gary stuttered. "No way, man_ --"_

"Ah, is the mighty Gary Oak is finally relinquishing his title as the king of the ladies?" Drew teased.

"Absolutely not," Gary said calmly.

He had a feeling he would regret the words coming out, but if there was one thing Gary could not resist, it was the temptation of a fresh challenge. The thrill of the chase…the elation of victory…and of course, the sweet reward of seeing his friends' shocked faces…it was simply too tempting. This whole thing was a game now—and Gary was an expert player.

"Dude, you there?" Drew asked impatiently.

"Yeah, I'm here. I merely meant that…your little 'challenge' would be far too easy to win. Since you seem so determined to see me lose, and I know that's not going to happen...what say you and I raise the stakes a little."

"Raise the stakes?" Drew asked, intrigued.

"Yes. Now, you and I both know little Scar-_Waterflower_is going to be a hard nut to crack. Not that any girl is an impossible challenge for _me...__" _Drew snickered loudly on the line. "So anyway. As proof-- _real _proof that I am the true victor in this game, I'll bet youthat I can make _her _say 'I love you' to me--"

"Woah, man? Do you _want _to lose on purpose? That girl looks about as mushy as a Steelix, she'd probably prefer showing her emotions by clocking you in the jaw or something--"

Gary ignored him. "I bet I can make her say it – _first – _by the end of the Inter-school Pokemon League Tournament."

Drew gasped audibly. "_Dude, _that's in like less than 2 _months__--_you really think she's going to crack in that short amount of time? You obviously don't know her at all-"

"You obviously haven't seen me at my best, then." Gary retorted coolly, the thrill of this fresh new challenge already pumping through his veins. "Now, stop wasting my phone bill and get your scrawny butt in here, Drew. You and Richie were meant to come round lunchtime, not at the end of this century."

Gary snapped his phone shut, smirking. It certainly wasn't a direction he'd been planning when it came to Misty Waterflower…but a challenge was a challenge.

And there wasn't a chance in hell he was going to lose.


	7. Sweet 16, Sour 17&Author note

**A/N: **SORRY, THIS ISN'T REALLY A PROPER UPDATE. It's just the original chapter 6 (Misty's birthday) but edited and re-written for (hopefully) the better. All 7 existing chapters of this story has been given the same treatment, for reasons I elaborate on in my **profile. **If you are an existing reader checking here for updates, please go there to see my little note.

Whether you are an old or new reader, thank you very much for reading this far! A –proper- update for this story will be up hopefully by the weekend, before I go off on holiday.

* * *

"I'm _so _sorry, honey, I feel just horrible--"

"Woah. Mum. It's okay! Seriously!"

"No it's not, sweetie, what kind of awful, unfit mother am I to work on your _birthday—"_

"Mum!" Misty cried, trying desperately to console her frazzled mother. "It's _fine_ We can just have a make up dinner on the weekend or something, okay?"

"But it's terrible—I'm so terrible--"

"_Please _mum. If you lost your job we wouldn't even _have _any money to go out for my birthday. What's the big deal anyway? Being 17 doesn't feel any different from 16…"

But Sara was still relentlessly ranting on.

"…Should've just quit when I had the chance…organizing a late night presentation on my daughter's _birthday…_ridiculous, honestly…the very thought…"

Misty sighed and firmly forced her mother's briefcase into her hand, before grabbing her wrist and dragging her to the door.

"Please mum. Just go now or you'll be late, and you'll get fired anyway. I'm _fine, _okay? I have to er—go to the Oaks' tonight, anyway."

Sara finally stopped rambling long enough to make a sensible reply. "Oh? The Oaks?" she asked, intrigued.

_Damn, why did she have to choose _that _moment to pay attention?_

"Uh, yeah, the Oaks," she answered as nonchalantly as she could. "I promised I'd um, help the Professor with something."

Sara gave her a funny look. "Professor Oak is a scientific genius. What on earth would he need your help for?" she furrowed her brows for a moment, then her face lit up. "Oh! He has a _grandson _your age, doesn't he? I saw him the other day on the way back from work actually, very good looking young lad…Harry, was it?"

"Gary," Misty corrected automatically—and froze, realizing how quick her answer had been. "His name was…uh…Gary. I-I think."

"Oh, so you've already met him then?" Sara asked happily.

Misty found her thoughts drifting to the large, heavy mallet enclosed in her bottom drawer, and took a deep breath to calm herself down.

"I'm going now, mum. Get to work and stop freaking out, okay? You don't want to give yourself an aneurysm."

"Oh, fancy word that, aneurysm. Is that something you learned in class? With _Larry?_"

"It's Ga--" Misty began immediately, then realized it was hopeless. "Never mind. I'm going to be late if I'm not careful, mum. See you later okay? Love you!" she ran out of the door before her mother could push the interrogation further.

Humming lightly to herself, Misty unlocked her bike and gracefully spun it out of the drive, relishing in the cool breeze blowing through her hair as she picked up speed.

The mention of Gary this morning was already shoved to the back of her mind. Although Misty usually liked to make as little fuss on her birthdays as possible, Ash had specifically called her this morning to say he wouldn't be able to cycle with her to school. Misty wasn't one for blind optimism, but she couldn't help wondering if his absence on this _particular _day could be more than mere co-incidence. Brock had already left home when she'd called, too. It wasn't _entirely _impossible that they might have been planning something together for her special day…right?

Before she knew it, she could already see the familiar dirt gravel path leading up to Pallet Town High's carpark. She couldn't see any sign of Ash or Brock. Perhaps they'd gone in already…if there was something necessary to…set up, perhaps?

Parking lightly and securing the lock, she slung her bag over her shoulder and half-ran, half-skipped her way past the wide oak doors. Her theory seemed to be becoming more and more credible by the minute, and hurried off to find her two friends with increasingly giddy anticipation fluttering nervously in her chest.

………………………………………

"Oi, earth to Scarlet!"

Misty jolted in her seat and out of her thoughts. "Woah, what?!"

"Oh good, you've finally remembered us little people back in the real world. I'm done with this stupid Bio sheet," he said, waving a crumpled piece of paper in her face. "I'm getting some food."

He got out of his chair, and was promptly dragged down again by Misty. "No."

Gary pouted dramatically. "Aww, Scarlet, I had no idea you'd miss me so much…though to be honest I really shouldn't be surprised," he added cheerfully at the sight of Misty's formidable glare. He was rewarded by a sharp hiss.

"If only it _was _that easy to get rid of you," Misty snapped. "I meant no, you're not done with your worksheet. Now it may seem too phenomenal to comprehend in that little brain of yours, Oak, but paper actually has _two sides._"

She flipped the sheet Gary had so proudly waved in her face to reveal a whole new set of complicated looking questions. "Hmmm?" she smiled with mock innocence, before rolling her eyes in exasperation.

Gary scowled and glanced down at the worksheet, his expression becoming more and more baffled as he progressed down the page. Misty took advantage of the rare period of silence to recall this afternoon's events, though she knew it couldn't be healthy to be so angry or miserable. How _could _they—_both _of them—be such forgetful, insensitive jerks?

_It was finally at lunch she spotted them, both huddled together in front of something in the corner of the cafeteria. _

'_Should I go to them?' Misty wondered. 'But what if I ruined the surprise? Perhaps I should just act indifferent, so I don't ruin their hard work?'_

_She needn't have worried. She had barely decided what to do when Ash looked up and caught her eye._

"_Hey, Mist!" he called out to her, and flashed a huge grin that made her feel giddy inside. "Come over here, quick! We have to show you something!"_

_Trying to curb her excitement, Misty hurriedly jogged towards them, almost running over an unsuspecting Drew by the microwave. Brock motioned for her to come join him and Ash, and she soon reached their little table._

"_Isn't it just _perfect?" _Brock cooed wistfully. "I wish I'd bred one for myself!_

"_Look, Misty, look! Don't you think it's the cutest thing ever?" Ash said enthusiastically, pointing to the middle of the table, where a small penguin__Pokemon__ sat quietly, looking up at them curiously through large, beady eyes. _

"_Pil__?" it enquired innocently._

"_Oh my god, Ash, it's so adorable!" Misty squealed. "What's its name? And how on earth did you find it?"_

"_It was really, really hard to find," Ash boasted. "It's called __Piplup__—it's one of the starter __Pokemon__ over in the newly discovered __Sinnoh__ region…you can hardly get _any _Sinnoh__Pokemon__ here at all…I have a friend there, Dawn—well, she received one for the start of her journey, and I asked her if she could try breeding them for me…"_

"_Wow," Misty whispered, at a loss for words. "And it's a Water type too…"_

"_Oh yeah, they're your __favourites__ aren't they, Misty?" Brock asked happily. "You must really want to have your own __Piplup__, then."_

"_I do! Oh Brock—Ash—it's absolutely perfect—I __cant__ believe you guys went to all this trouble! This is the absolute best birthday pres--"_

"_My present!__ You got it, you got it, __you__ got it!" May shrieked, suddenly dashing __into the circle__. She swiped __Piplup__ off the table excitedly, examining it from every angle. _

"_I can't believe you really managed to get me a __Sinnoh__Pokemon__, Ash, you rock! Max is going to be __SO__ jealous! I'm going to train it__ REALLY hard and one day it'll __be even bigger and stronger than your Pikachu! I better go and tell mum now__-- t__hank Dawn for me!" she __gushed__then__ sped off without a second glance. She was so excited she didn't even notice __Piplup__ squawking indignantly under her suffocating grasp._

_It took Misty nearly a whole minute to register what had just happened. That __Pokemon__ had _not _been her birthday present—in fact, judging from Ash's pleased expression they had not even remembered today was the day!_

"_You.__Got that…Pip.__Thing.__For May."__ Misty stated slowly,__ grudgingly anticipating the response._

"_Yeah, great, isn't it?" Ash said cheerfully. "She was saying how she'd been really lonely here, coz she had to leave __most of__ her __Pokemon__ behind in __Hoenn__. And it turned out to be her birthday this weekend, so I just figured I'd try and help out…"_

"_Misty, are you okay? You're turning __kinda__ pink. Are you running a fever or something?" Brock asked, concerned. _

_Misty ignored him and rounded on Ash. "So this morning, when you couldn't pick me up--"_

"_Oh yeah, sorry about that,__" Ash apologized__ sincerely__. "It's just I had to meet Dawn at the train station—it was supposed to arrive around 9, but it was scheduled to arrive about 30 minutes early so I just figured I'd go straight to the station…"_

"_Uh, Misty," Brock interrupted__ in alarm__. "You're hyperventilating."_

"_Maybe she's jealous coz it's not _her _birthday and she doesn't get any presents!" Ash laughed loudly. "What do you want for your birthday, Mist? We'll make sure to get you the biggest, coolest--"_

"_What do I want? I want 2 so called best friends who aren't __such dunces__ I could scribble a huge letter 'D' onto their stupid faces and wear them as a hat! Did you guys _seriously _forget _completely?!" _she shrieked. A few people turned to stare momentarily, __then__hastily resumed their lunch after catching sight of Misty's expression._

_Ash looked completely nonplussed. "Did I…forget? Oh no, did you ask me to get a __Pokemon__ for you too? But I can't call Dawn _again--"

"_You utter, utter JERK, Ash Ketchum!" Misty nearly screamed, yanking his cap sharply down his face and stomping out of the canteen._

_Brock watched her leave, trying to think, then suddenly realized what had happened. His face turned pale. __"Oh my god, Ash.__ It's _her _birthday today--"_

_Misty had walked several steps out of the cafeteria but she could still hear an oblivious Ash __asking__, "Was it something I said…?"_

"Yoo hoo, Miss Glazy Eyes. No need to spend time daydreaming of me, I'm right here any time you want me," Gary chimed, waving his hand lazily in front of Misty's eyes to grab her attention.

"If it _was _you in my dreams, Oak, I'd be afraid to sleep," Misty snapped. Recalling the lunchtime incident was raising her temper dangerously close to the surface. "What do you want now? Another brain cell to accompany that single, lonely one inside your head?"

"If it's yours, babe. I'd take any part of you, anywhere," he purred, his eyebrows raised suggestively.

"Oak," she growled. "If you value the sanctity and _survival _of your balls at _all_, you will listen to me, I am _dead _serious--"

"Okay, okay, Scarlet! Though I _am_ intrigued by why you chose to mention…that particular topic without _any _provocation at all--" He quickly hid his smirk at the sight of Misty getting ready to rise from her chair "—Okay, point _taken, _Waterflower, jeez! Would you _chill out?! _Why do you have to be so _serious _all the time?"

Misty flipped him off wordlessly, communicating her immense irritation through narrowed eyes. She thought she saw something like genuine offence flash across his eyes for a second, but could not quite care about his response at this moment.

"Can't you act like a decent, civilized human being?" she demanded.

"Can't you act like a _human, _full stop? Honestly, you're more like a walking bomb, about to explode! What's been pissing you off so much today anyway?"

"_Nothing _is pissing me off, Oak, I'm 100 per cent fine--"

"Then stop biting my head off every time I speak--!"

"Oho. I'm merely saving you from embarrassing yourself with any further display of your irritating, egotistical immaturity--"

"Oh, and you think the best way to do that is to act like a stale old hag? Seriously Scarlet, you _have _to cheer up a bit more. You don't want horrid wrinkles ruining this beautiful face of yours before you're _thirty _do you"—he reached out and carefully brushed her cheek with his fingers—"Would be _such _a waste_—"_

She angrily slapped his hand away. "And not even age lines the size of Kanto would be able to lessen _your _obnoxious ego, Oak! Stop acting like you own the damn world--"

"Hey Misty!" Daisy's voice called from outside the door. "Phone call for you!"

"Saved by the bell," Gary sniggered, relaxing back in his seat.

"Why the hell would anyone call me _here?" _Misty mumbled crossly to herself as she walked out to receive the call.

Daisy was waiting for her. "In there, Misty," she said, gesturing to a videophone at the end of the hallway. Misty could see the images of three very familiar faces on the screen.

_Oh no, not them!_

"Like, oh my god Misty!"

"Where have you _been?!"_

"Why aren't you, like, at home? It took us like, _ages _to find you!"

Misty could feel the pangs of the familiar headache her sisters' screeches always caused, and braced herself for the full blown-out migraine she knew was coming her way.

"Hi. Sorry. Doing something right now. How did you get this number?" she asked, deadpan.

The three of them started gushing at once.

"We called home like, 5 times--"

"We thought you'd like, gotten lost or something again--"

"We were like, so worried--"

That last remark caught Misty's attention. Since when had her sisters ever cared about her?

"Really, Violet? You guys were worried about me?"

"_Duh, _little sis." Daisy's long blonde locks were shoved into view. "Violet and I made like, an _ultra _important manicure appointment in 30 minutes, and if we hadn't found you in time we would have like, totally missed it! We have a really important party tonight you know…"

"Of course," Misty sighed, expecting it had been something like that. "And why was it of such critical, life-threatening importance to find me, exactly?"

"What do you _mean _why? Do you honestly think we'd forget our little sisters' 17th birthday? Do you like, take us for a trio of totally air-headed bimbos or something?"

Misty felt it would be better not to voice her honest answer.

"Right. Okay. Thanks. But how the hell did you even find me?"

"We had to like, call mum and everything, it was _so _annoying," Lily chirped in. "Anyway, she told us you were over at your neighbours—_the _Professor Oak, we couldn't like, _believe _it—so we searched up the number."

"Oh, she told us not to disturb you coz you'd be like, busy with his grandson, Barry or something?"

"_What?!_No no no --" Misty began protesting. It was useless.

"Yeah, and we were all like, 'wait, a _guy?! _How could she have gotten a boyfriend and not like, _tell _us!' " Daisy chimed in.

"He's not my--"

"Yeah, Misty, how could you? You didn't even tell your own _sisters _about such a big thing like this! We thought you'd _never _get yourself a boyfriend--"

"I don't _have--"_

"Oh my god, is _that _Barry? His name is like, totally dumb but he is _hot!"_

"What?" Misty' spun around with dread, knowing what she would see. As expected, Gary was standing there, leaning against the wall in his usual contemptuous manner and wearing the familiar crooked smirk that infuriated her the most.

"'Barry'?" he asked amusedly.

"Unless I get _extremely _lucky and all the phone lines in Cerulean go down, I'll talk to you guys _later,_" Misty snarled at her sisters, and reached for the screen's power button.

"Okay! Hey, you know, since you're 17 now, you know you're legal--"

The screen went blank before Lily could finish her sentence, much to Misty's relief.

"Okay Oak," she sighed, turning around and preparing the arsenal of insults she knew she'd have to throw at Gary's smug expression. "Get it over and done with, I've had enough for today."

But Gary's smirk had disappeared, replaced instead with an expression of utter disbelief.

"It's your _birthday?" _he choked out, surprising Misty with the amount of shock in his voice.

"Um, yeah, but it doesn't matter, why—ow!" she yelped as Gary suddenly grabbed her by the wrist and dragged her towards the door. "Let go of me! What the hell do you think you're doing?"

"What the hell do you think _you're _doing?" he demanded, ignoring her squeals. "It's your birthday and you're spending it trying to stuff useless science facts into my head? I'm taking you out." He caught sight of her stunned expression and misunderstood. "Oh. Unless you already made plans with--"

Misty shook her head furiously, scowling at the mere thought of Ash and Brock ever having bothered making plans for _her. _

"Good," Gary chuckled. "Get your shoes on and I'll meet you by the car."

"Where are you--"

"Town," he replied curtly. "Can't do much this last minute, but I'm sure we could find something satisfying enough. Though an evening with me alone is usually enough entertainment for any girl--"

"I didn't bring my wallet."

"You won't be needing it," he answered smoothly. "Your birthday, my treat. Now stop yapping and get those shoes on already! Unless you'd prefer me to carry you--?"

"Okay okay, I'll be out in 5 seconds!" Misty snapped, not wanting to give him more bait to tease her with. Gary smirked and grabbed his car keys from the counter by the front door, and let himself out.

It was only as he cranked his engine into gear that he realized just how perfect this situation was—for him. Abandoned on her birthday by her mother, her sisters and even her so called 'best friends'…Gary had enough experience with the opposite sex to know that needy girls…were easy girls. Swooping in to pick her up from the dumps like this, the shoulder to cry on…he was, in his opinion, well on his way to forcing those 3 words from her lips…

He only hoped he'd manage to get Drew's stupid bet over and done with as soon as possible. Ever since he'd agreed to the challenge, there had been a small, but significant part of his conscience that had been plagued with an unexplainable bout of uneasiness and…was it…guilt? Most of the time he ignored it, reasoning that this was all just a game, and it would all be over once he won. After all, by the time the deadline was over, his 12 week term with Misty would be up, and everything would go back to normal. If something _did _go wrong…she'd just end up as an addition to his long list of screwed up relationships. One stupid little game wasn't going to change his life.


	8. Misty realizes

An OFFICIAL update! Yay! Turns out I DO have internet at my grandma's...I'm currently connected to some random neighbour's unsecured wireless network hehe. And won't let me use my usual ... page breaks, so that's been changed :S

* * *

"Wow, _that's _your car? Flashy much?" 

"Yeah, that's my baby. You like it? 16th birthday present from my parents. I think that was one of the first times in my life I actually liked them." He laughed dryly, and walked towards the Porsche.

"What?"

Misty stared at him, his unexpected confession seizing her by surprise. Should she respond to that last comment? Was she even supposed to have heard it? Gary was certainly acting like nothing had happened, twirling his car keys around his finger as he held open the passenger door expectantly.

"Well Scarlet, if that's what you really want, I guess we _could _just stand out here in the cold for the rest of the night..."

Misty opened her mouth to question his previous comment, but then decided against it. The casually bitter way he had spoken about his parents suggested a painful back-story he was not quite ready to reveal.

"Sorry," she said instead, hurrying forwards and stepping into the car. The door shut softly behind her and she watched Gary walk around the front of the car, pondering, yet again, what this guy was really all about. She'd known him for only 2 weeks, but in that short space of time she'd heard and formulated so many differing opinions of him that it was impossible to define who was studying harder—Gary on his schoolwork, or her on solving the complex jigsaw puzzle of his enigmatic personality.

Once inside, he started the engine and pulled out of the driveway, lazily flipping the wheel around to head onto the Route 1 freeway. They cruised noiselessly along the road for a few minutes until Gary, still keeping his eyes on the road, bent down and flicked on a switch on the main dashboard. The elephantine thump of a hip-hop song Misty had heard many times on TV boomed through the car.

"What is it? You don't like Timbaland?" Gary asked, glancing at her disdainful expression.

"I don't really like this sort of music in general. It's so generic—every one of them has the same shallow lyrics and overly-synthesised voices."

"Well, that's how the money is made. Ever wondered why those 'soulful' emo bands don't hit the A-list? Nobody cares about their misery or their heartbreak woes, regardless of how _deep _or _natural _their lyrics may be."

"I didn't mean I like _that _kind," Misty said, staring out of the window. "It's just...music is supposed to be touching and _meaningful _in some way—as if the lyrics are being spoken to you by your best friend. Pointless songs about getting laid and sappy love dramas mean nothing to me-- I can't really enjoy music that I can't somehow connect to on a personal level."

_Mental note for Operation Seduce Misty Waterflower: __Stock up on lots__ of __indie bands__ w__ith plenty of mushy lyrics about abandonment and anger management._

"Well I'm sorry about that," Gary smiled politely. "Maybe when we're in town you could head over to HMV and re-educate me in the art of _meaningful _music. You _are_ my tutor after all." A small twinkle appeared in his eye.

"Very funny, Oak. You _really _don't have to do this you know...we still have a lot to cover, and I know you think 10 weeks sounds like a lot, but it'll be your exams before you even know it--"

Gary pretended to gag. "Okay Scarlet, _not _cool. Here I am, trying to give you the experience of a _normal _birthday, and you sit here _still _talking about schoolwork? How much of a nerd _are _you exactly?"

Misty's cheeks flushed slightly. "I'm _not _a nerd! I'm just saying, right now your main focus should be on your Cinnabar U exam, and it won't do either of us good wasting precious time like this--"

Misty's head was hit by a sudden gust of wind. Gary had lowered the hood of the convertible, and she glanced down at the speedometer, wondering how fast they were really driving to turn the gentle spring breeze into a roaring _Whirlwind _attack through her hair.

"Holy crap!" she shrieked over the wind. "Slow down, Oak!"

"What?" Gary asked, startled. But the car didn't decelerate.

"Are you trying to get us killed? You're going 90km an hour!" she screamed, clutching her seatbelt as if it was her only lifeline.

"Oh relax, Scarlet," Gary shouted back, rolling his eyes. "Just embrace the feel of the wind around you—it's hard to find thrill like this in a small town like Pallet."

"Well my idea of thrill isn't a suicidal rollercoaster ride in the Oak vehicle of doom! I don't think it'll be very nice for my mother if my _birthday_ends up the same as my _deathday_Why are you in such a rush anyway?"

"I always drive like this," he shrugged, turning to flash her a proud grin.

"Keep your damn eyes on the road!" Misty screeched miserably.

Even above the roar of the wind whipping through his hair, Gary could hear every syllable of her shrill voice. He half-marvelled at her talent— in the unlikely case she was to drop out of school, she could easily have made her living in Officer Jenny's squadron as a human megaphone or something.

"Fine!" he relented, sighing. Misty watched with relief as the needle gradually drifted toward seventy. "Happy?"

The noise of the wind dulled down a little, and Misty was finally able to reply without shouting. "Almost."

"I hate driving slow," he growled. It was _very _hard to please this girl without driving himself crazy!

"You call this _slow_?"

"No need for a running commentary on my driving, Scar—whoa!"

Misty felt her insides jerk nauseatingly as Gary's tires screeched with the impact of the sharp right-turn he'd just made. His Porsche propelled from one end of the car park to the other, zooming into the empty space with an abrupt halt.

"Close call there—we almost missed the turn for the parking lot," Gary commented, tidying up his collar and looking enormously proud of himself. "Ready to go, Scarlet?"

Misty lay frozen in her seat, pinching the bridge of her nose and focusing all her concentration on inhaling and exhaling to assure herself she was, in fact, still alive and intact.

"So, any idea what you want to do?" Gary asked.

--------------------------------------------------------

"I have no idea, Oak...I'm new to this town, remember? And I still don't get why I'm out spending my birthday with _you _of all people...What if someone sees us together?"

"It's okay Scarlet, I'm used to protecting my dates from jealous girls."

"What I _meant, _Oak,_ w_as what if someone sees, and tells _Ash?" _She scowled at him. "And you are certainly not my _date, _tonight or ever!"

"As I said, Scarlet, you have to _relax. _It's Friday night—there's no chance anyone we know will be stuck here. They'll all be off to Cerulean or Saffron or one of the big cities—that's where the real action happens."

"So what _is _Pallet Town good for then?"

"Let's see...well we could go down to the mall, though shopping around for clothes isn't really what I'd call _fun..._unless I'm allowed into the changing room of course—okay, ow--"

"Anywhere we can go that you _can't _make some cheesy, perverted joke out of?" Misty sighed, taking extra care to grab his roots as she yanked his hair violently. She was running out of places to target.

"How about a movie, then?" Gary suggested, playing it safe. His scalp was still throbbing painfully. "We could catch that new teen horror flick, _Crimson Moon _or something, I'd protect you from all the scary bits--"

"_NO!" _Misty roared, remembering that dreadful night with Ash and May. "We are NOT going to watch or mention that PATHETIC excuse for a movie EVER again!"

"My date—I mean, my uh, cousin..." Gary grinned sheepishly at the alarmed passers-by. "Rehearsing for our school play...a modern Lady Macbeth..."

"_What?!" _Misty snapped, her eyes flaring dangerously. Gary was almost certain she saw her hand rise to hit him again, but then suddenly she paused, her eyes widening. "Oh my GOD!"

"What? What is it now?" Gary wailed desperately. How could this girl still be so miserable on her own birthday? He had _never _met anyone like her!

"Look! _LOOK!" _Misty waved frantically towards a colourful poster stuck onto a nearby lamppost, tugging viciously at his shirt to grab his attention.

"I can't believe she's actually _here, _in _Pallet Town _of all places!" Misty gushed, dragging Gary helplessly over to the post.

"Okay Scarlet, before you rip my favourite shirt into shreds—oh, s_he's_ here?"

Misty was peering at the poster so closely Gary's own view was almost completely blocked by a wall of ginger hair. But apparently, this was a big event for a town as small as Pallet-- several of the same posters had also been taped on a phone box a few metres away. Gary walked over and inspected the largest one in the centre.

A large picture of a very familiar young woman dominated the bottom right-hand corner of a psychedelic blue and orange backdrop. She was smiling at him through a pair of tinted oval spectacles, just as the world had seen many times before. The headline above her picture screamed the event in white capital letters.

_--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------_

_THE UNMISSABLE EVENT OF THE YEAR!__ FOR ONE NIGHT ONLY!_

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_DON'T __LOSE__ THIS CHANC__E TO WITNESS THE SENSATIONALWORDS AND TEACHIN__G__ OF __THIS DISTINGUISHED MASTER __FOR YOURSELF__ FEATURING A LECTURE, DEMONSTRATION BATTLES, AUTOGRAPH SESSION AND A CHANCE TO BUY REPLICATES OF THE ICE QUEEN'S __OWN __PRIZED DOLL COLLECTION, THIS IS ONE EVENT THAT __NO POKEMON FAN__OR__BUDDING __TRAINER__ CAN__ MISS!_

_CALL 555-03526 OR LOG ONTO __TO BOOK YOUR TICKETS NOW! ONLY $50 PER PERSON, WHILE STOCKS LAST!_

_-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------_

"Wow, that looks pretty interesting," Gary commented indifferently.

"Are you _kidding?!" _Misty shrieked, stunned by his lack of enthusiasm. "This is only the _biggest _event ever! I can't believe I _never _heard about this! _Lorelei _of the Elite Four, here in this very _town, _oh my god...It's like a complete dream come true!"

"Is it?" Gary glanced at her sceptically.

Being born into a celebrity family had made him impartial to the obsession most people his age had with the lives of the rich and famous. His own godmother was Agatha of the Elite Four—though he had not seen her since she'd had that fall out with his grandfather years ago—and Steven Stone often came around for dinner when he was taking a break from his solitary training at the Meteor Falls.

As for Lorelei, he'd seen her barely a few weeks ago at the benefit dinner celebrating his grandfather's latest scientific discovery. These so-called 'idols' were just as normal as the next person, except perhaps with a slightly bigger pay check and an annoyingly frequent presence in the daily papers. The media frenzy over them was unfathomable. He'd known about Lorelei coming for weeks, but if it wasn't for Misty, he doubted he would've given the advertisement a second glance.

Misty was staring at him with all the incredulous appearance of a bewildered Magikarp. "You're not excited at _all?! _It's LORELEI! LORELEI, of the ELITE FOUR! The most talented and skilled trainers in the whole of _Kanto—_and she's always been the best of them all! Most of her ice Pokémon are dual water types too--Oh my, I HAVE to get tickets for this, let's see, when and where is it..."

"So... you like her then?"

Misty didn't pick up the sarcasm in his voice. "Of COURSE! She's my complete _idol--_ I'm her BIGGEST fan—I've been following her stories and battles since I was a kid—OH NO!"

Gary winced for his ears as she unleashed a piercing shriek of horror.

"—It's _tonight! _The thing starts in 15 _minutes, _there's _no _way I'd be able to get a ticket, oh my god I can't believe she's going to be in town and I'm going to _miss _it—This has been like my dream since I was _five--_"

Gary scrutinized her pained expression for a moment. "Where is this lecture, exactly?"

"Somewhere called Canvas Hall, not that it matters—ow, let go of me, Oak! Where the hell are you taking me?"

"To make your silly little childhood dreams come true," Gary announced curtly as they rounded the corner—and straight into a frenzied crowd of trainers. They were all waving around posters of Lorelei or copies of her book, shrieking like maniacs. With his hand latched firmly around her wrist, Gary dragged Misty behind him as he expertly weaved through the waves of eager fans, being careful to sidestep their various bags, presents and shoes.

They eventually reached the front of the crowd, but before anyone could complain of their queue-cutting, Gary headed out of the mass of the people and towards an inconspicuous looking side entrance to the building. The crowd was much calmer here—most people were waiting eagerly for the main front doors to open, and their attention lay there. The two of them easily slipped through the gaps and emerged in front of a brawny bodyguard with the most threatening set of biceps Misty had ever seen.

"What are you _doing?" _she hissed, wearily eyeing the man's unflinching stare and lockjaw.

"Helping celebrate your birthday, if you'll just stop complaining for one _minute,_" Gary retorted in a whisper. He straightened up, and looked the guard straight in the eye. "Hi, we're here for the Lorelei talk," he said smoothly, flashing him a casual grin and ruffling his hair with feigned nonchalance.

_Is he really that stupid? Does he think he can CHARM his way in without a ticket, 10 minutes before the show starts? _

"This is the VIP entrance," the guard grunted, either ignoring or unmoved by Gary's attempts to win his favour. "You'll have to queue up with the crowd over there."

"I know. We _are _VIP, mister," Gary replied with a sly smirk.

Misty palmed her face in embarrassment. The idiot was actually trying to _flirt _with the _male _bouncer to get them in?

The guard's deadpan expression didn't twitch. "Your passes, please."

"Ah," Gary grinned sheepishly. "That's the little catch here. You see mister, my clumsy little friend here-- " Misty glared at him. "—She's been very silly and...well. To cut a long story short, doesn't exactly have her pass on her anymore--"

"No ticket, no entry." The guard had heard this excuse too many times.

"She did have it, I promise!" Gary pleaded, with an astonishingly plausible attempt at puppy eyes. "We've been saving up for this lecture for ages—you _can't _just turn us down now--"

It didn't convince the guard. "Watch me."

"But it's her _birthday _today, mister--"

"I think I made the rules very clear."

"But--"

"Mister Oak?" a surprised female voice interrupted from behind them.

"Ah, Josie!" Gary's face erupted into a delighted grin. "It's been a while!"

Josie was a slim figure in a formal skirt suit, with a small security mike dangling around her neck that identified her as one of the backstage crew. "Yes, I haven't seen you for weeks, sir! What are you doing here? You're not trying to sneak past Terry here to try and get into the Lorelei lecture now, are you?"

Gary's eyes widened in melodramatic shock. "Sneak past, Josie? Of course not. I was just about to ask for you actually...I don't know if you received my grandfather's message this afternoon..."

Josie straightened up at the mention of Professor Oak, clicking her pen and glancing down at her clipboard. "No I haven't actually, that lousy assistant of mine must have forgotten to pass them on again, I'm _really _going to have to fire her--"

"Oh no, don't be so harsh now," Gary said, his voice silky. "It wasn't anything important—Gramps just wanted to say that something had cropped up tonight, and he wouldn't be able to attend the lecture... but he still didn't want to miss his good friend Lorelei giving one of her famous shows. He was just planning to ask if me and my friend here could attend the show on his behalf, so we could gather any notes that might aid his research and perhaps pass on a little hello to her for him. But of course," he glanced meaningfully at the stunned guard. "If that seems a bit too much, Gramps said he'd just bear the disappointment until next year..."

"_Too much?_" Josie nearly shouted. "Don't be ridiculous—the Oaks are always permitted here! You should've asked for me from the beginning—please forgive Terry here—he's just joined the staff--"

"Oh, it's nothing, he was only doing his job after all," Gary drawled lazily, as Josie hurriedly ushered them past the spluttering guard and into the building. "I mean, there was no way he could know he was turning down the grandson of this hall's _patron _here now, could he?"

Misty nearly choked on her own spit.

"The auditorium's just down the corridor here...Oh, well you know the way, don't you, Mister Oak?" Josie paused momentarily, listening carefully to her radio earpiece. "I'm so sorry, but we're about to start—I have to dash off to tell Miss Lorelei to get on stage. Enjoy the show!" She ran down the hallway and disappeared round the corner.

Misty stared at Gary in utter disbelief. "What—Why—How--" she couldn't decide where to begin.

"Gramps funded the building of this hall years ago so he could 'better educate and expose the young talents of our town to the vast ocean of talent around us' ," Gary answered dully. His family history was not a subject he liked dwelling on other than to gain these materialistic merits. "All the big media events in Pallet happen here, managed by my parents' marketing firm. Josie is the supervising manager here in Pallet, so she's worked with our family since I was a kid. Okay, questions answered? Let's go get our seats."

Misty stayed still, her face still incredulous. "Why did you put on that act with the guard then?"

Gary shrugged, chuckling. "I was just teasing...it was fun screwing him over when I knew I could call Josie to bail us out whenever... seriously, can you move your feet now? It took quite a while to get you _in, _I think the impact won't be _quite _as great if you end up _missing _half of the talk."

Misty reluctantly began following him down the corridor, pausing at the hall entrance.

Gary turned back inquisitively.

"I just remembered something..." Misty's face broke into a huge grin. "That Josie woman...she called you _sir."_

Gary's eyebrows rose in surprise, but his usual self-assured smirk soon crept back on his lips. "Ah, jealous were you? You can call me that too if you want, no need to compromise."

Misty snorted with amusement. "Jealous? Hah! I just mentioned that because I remember feeling _so _sorry for her—imagine having to hold a job where I'd have to call Gary Oak _SIR!"_

She giggled and walked past him into the main auditorium. Most of the crowd had already taken their seats, but Misty headed for the very front row, which had been clearly labelled 'Reserved for VIPs'.

Gary stared after her for a moment, then followed her down to the neighbouring seat. "You don't need to imagine, Scarlet, I can easily arrange that job for you."

Misty opened her mouth to reply, but at that moment the hall lights blacked out, and any words she said were instantly drowned out by the raucous cheer of the audience. A single spotlight lit up the centre of the stage, and Misty's head snapped around to face the front. Gary saw Misty gasp with wonder as a tall, curvaceous silhouette emerged from the shadows.

"Good evening everyone, I'm Lorelei of the Elite Four..."

------------------------------------------------

"I still can't believe I actually _saw Lorelei!_"

"Yes, I know."

"Seriously! LORELEI! Of the ELITE FOUR!"

"Yes, I know."

"I mean, I actually talked to her, _face to face! _She called me by my first _name! _I got her _autograph! _I just can't _believe _it!"

"Yes, Scarlet, I got you the first 47 times."

"I know, I'm sorry, it's just I--"

"Can't believe it? Just _maybe?_" Gary suggested with mock thoughtfulness.

"Okay sorry, I'll shut up."

"That's not physically possible, Scarlet."

"_What?!" _Misty snarled, her good mood instantly threatening to evaporate.

"Don't distract me please," Gary said, unable to hide his smirk from behind the wheel. "I have to keep my eyes on the road at _all _times as par your request, remember?"

"You little f--"

"Language, Scarlet, language! A pretty girl like you shouldn't be sprouting ugly cuss words like that! The horror!"

"I—You are impossible Oak, and I hate you."

"Nah you don't."

"Yes, I do."

"No you don't."

"Yes, I _do."_

"...Is this going to go on for the entire ride back home? Coz if it is, I'm turning my Timbaland CD back on."

"Jerk."

"Obstinate Tauros."

"Pain in the ass."

"Ooh, _ouch. Queen _of witty comebacks"

"Shut up."

"Fine, but you have to as well."

"Fine."

"..."

"..."

The familiar silhouette of the Oak mansion loomed into view. Misty glanced sideways and saw Gary's lips twitching violently.

"What?" she demanded.

"That lasted less than 2 minutes," Gary chuckled. "Obviously, you just can't _bear_ not talking to me!"

"Are you _kidding _? If I had my way, that would be the _first _thing on my list! Ban Gary Oak from ever opening his stupid, loud, obnoxious mouth again!"

"But it's the same mouth that got you the best birthday present ever, right?"

"What? Well--"

"Oh just admit it, Scarlet," Gary hedged, grinning at her reluctance. "As you've so courteously repeated for the past 20 minutes, seeing and meeting your _idol _was the most surreal experience _ever. _And I won't take credit for making it _all _happen—since obviously Josie had a little part in it, I suppose—but I bet you this night will definitely make it onto your Top 10 memories of all time."

"Well..." Misty murmured, as they pulled into the driveway in front of her house. "The talk is certainly on my list. The actual _night _itself...that's got to take some more consideration."

"Why?"

"Because _you _were part of it. I can't have an evening alone with Gary Oak in my top 10! The list would be tainted!" Misty giggled loudly.

"Oh, burn. I can think of plenty of girls who can only dream about tonight," Gary said with playful scornful.

The vehicle ground to a halt in front of Misty's door.

"But then again..." Misty paused, her giggling softening to a still as well. "If it wasn't for that little flaw, I wouldn't even have been able to see Lorelei in the first place. Even if my mum or my sisters _had_ gone into town with me to celebrate...the night wouldn't have been the same. No one's ever really bothered to make an effort to do anything on my birthday like this so Oak...despite the fact you're about the last person in the world I expected to say this to...I suppose...I owe you a thanks."

She peered up at Gary with a small, sincere smile of gratitude, and he had to blink to take it in properly. Maybe it was the poor lighting of the streetlamps, but at that moment, Misty Waterflower had actually looked...well...

The only way Gary could describe it was that, for one brief, fleeting second, he'd been overcome with a sudden and intense desire to grab her shoulders...and kiss her.

_What the __HELL was that?!_

"I guess I'll...see you tomorrow then," she said shyly, opening the Porsche door and letting herself out.

_Crap! I didn't even bother going over to open it for her! That's not very charming..._Gary's confusion turned to annoyance as he cursed inside his head, remembering Drew's bet...and then realizing he had completely forgotten about his original intentions for pretty much the entire night. He mentally kicked himself for the countless opportunities he'd missed to make Misty fall for him...

"Um...yeah. Happy birthday again...by the way."

Misty gave him another small smile, expressing something Gary couldn't quite pinpoint. She disappeared into her house and out of sight. Gary sighed and decided to do the same, pulling out and heading for his own driveway. How could he have lost his focus like that? He could _not _let Drew win at any cost...

"Wow. Never thought I'd feel like thanking _Gary Oak _for anything..." Misty murmured as she walked up to her room, half in disbelief and half in amusement. "Strange how people can surprise you...oh?"

She noticed a red light blinking continuously from her phone, indicating she'd received voicemail messages while she was out. _THAT__ had hardly happened before..._ she frowned as she walked over to her desk and pressed the message button. She froze in the middle of pulling her scarf off when a familiar voice gabbled from her speakerphone:

"_Misty! Misty! It's Ash! Oh my god Mist, I'm SO sorry about lunch today, I honestly had no idea! I mean, obviously I did, because you're my friend, and I'm supposed to know things like birthdays but...oh my god, I'm just so sorry, I completely forgot amongst all the stuff that's been going on—and oh, that's no excuse— I'm just such a huge idiot—I can't apologize enough—BEEP! Message received today, at 8:02pm."_

The next message played immediately afterwards.

"_—Sorry, sorry, your stupid voicemail cut me off! I mean, not that it's stupid, I'm the one that's stupid—but yeah, what was I saying? I'm just so, so, SO sorry again, and I promise I'll get you a BRILLIANT present to make up for my whole mess up today—do you want a Piplup too? I'm sure I can get Dawn to breed another one for you—or maybe it's not so special now that May has one too--?"_

Misty's smile faltered slightly at the mention of her name, but it was soon forgotten as he continued:

_"—Anyway, I just wanted to say—BEEP! Message received today at 8:04pm"_

_"—__Argghh, the machine IS stupid after all! Even more than me! A__nyway yes Misty, I'm just so sorry once again, Brock and I both feel really awful—well, I think __I feel__ worse—but please, when you get back, call me! I want to wish you happy birthday for myself, not through this stupid machine that keeps cutting me off—BEEP! Message received today at 8:06pm."_

Misty was giggling so hard her jaws were starting to hurt—but hearing Ash's voice in her room brought some strange sense of elation that negated the physical ache of her mouth.

"_—Okay, I didn't want to spam your voicemail, so I just left the last message as it was, I figured you'd be able to work it out...but anyway, call me __as__SOON __as you get back, okay? Promise! BEEP! Message received today at 8:12pm."_

_"Misty, where are you? Are you still mad at me? __Please, Mist, I'm really, really, REALLY sorry! __Please don't be angry—I'll make it up to you I promise! Please just call me! Message received today at 9:01pm."_

_"Okay Misty, I can't bear it, even if you're still mad at me, can you call me b__ack even if just to tell me so--"_

Misty didn't need to hear any more. Her heart somersaulting frantically inside her chest, she yanked the receiver off the hook and punched in Ash's number, just as she'd secretly imagined doing for the past week. She didn't know if she could stop grinning long enough to tell Ash the fact that he'd even called had made her far too happy to stay mad at him any longer... though she would never actually confess something quite so open to anyone, let alone him. But that admission alone, even if just inside her head, confirmed the doubts that had been circulating inside her mind for the past few days.

_It must be true__ then_she accepted, unwillingly, but not with the same stubbornness she had previously approached the subject. _This sudden euphoria...the butterflies in my stomach...he IS a huge dunce sometimes, but can I __stay__ mad at him for being a bit clueless? Especially when he really is one of the sweetest and most thoughtful people I've ever met..._

Suddenly, all the annoyance and rage she had felt before at lunch seemed completely acceptable, and Misty even admonished herself for being such a fussy drama queen. It wasn't like she was the sole resident of Pallet...and it was May's birthday soon, too...of course that would've occupied Ash's mind as well...Even thinking of her wasn't enough to dampen Misty's elation right now. Because she knew for sure Ash hadn't spent the entire past hour calling _May_endlessly, that was certain. _Take that__, little brat_She yelled triumphantly inside her head.

And then Misty realized something that confirmed her fears once and for all. When Gary had first suggested the possibilities of a crush, she had been outraged—defiant—_determined _to prove him wrong. Yet now that she realized the truth...she didn't care. She had been unwilling to accept the truth because she didn't want _Gary _to be proved right—not because _she _was so resolved against the idea herself. Right now, the only thing she could feel was giddy anticipation—an excitement that even exceeded her exhilaration after receiving Lorelei's autograph tonight. Misty Waterflower did not like change, but sometimes, she realized, it wasn't always _all _so bad...

She held her breath as the line started ringing.

Ash answered on the first ring. "Hello?"

Misty took a deep breath, restraining her elation at hearing his voice. "Hey Ash, it's Misty..."

Gary had been surprisingly right—this _was _one of the best nights of her recent life. She just hadn't expected it to be for a completely different reason...

* * *

Oh man I suck at writing AAML...mostly coz I don't usually READ stories where Misty isn't with Gary! But well, this IS an AxGxM story after all, so c'est la vie! As always, comments and feedback are **deeply **appreciated. Must run off to go work on an update for Dangerous Liaisons now...I am not nearly as knackered as I should be:D 


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